Bogdan Guskov is in. The 33-year-old Uzbek fighter has replaced injured Khalil Rountree Jr in the main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi on 25 July and will now face Magomed Ankalaev at Etihad Arena.
For Guskov, it is the kind of call that can change a career overnight. He enters his first UFC main event ranked 10th, against the No 1-ranked Ankalaev, a former light-heavyweight champion, after accepting the bout at short notice.
The timing matters because the switch reshapes a marquee fight card already built around Abu Dhabi. Guskov brings a record of 18 wins, three losses and one no contest, with all 18 victories coming by finish and 13 of them in the first round. He is also unbeaten in his last five fights, a run that helps explain why the UFC moved quickly when the opening appeared.
That is the promise, and the risk. Short notice can narrow the gap for a challenger, but it does not soften the task of meeting Ankalaev, whose ranking and championship experience make him the sternest possible test for a first UFC main event. Guskov has momentum. He also has almost no margin for error.
The rest of the card gives the night more depth. Ramazan Temirov will take on Steve Erceg, Islam Dulatov meets Wellington Turman at welterweight, Magomed Zaynukov faces Damian Rzepecki at lightweight, Tyrell Fortune tackles Rizvan Kuniev at heavyweight, and Ismael Bomfin battles Alez Sola at lightweight. Tickets start from Dh195 and are available through Ticketmaster.ae.
UFC and Abu Dhabi have worked together since 2010, but this main event gives the partnership a fresh storyline: a late replacement, a top-ranked opponent and a chance for Guskov to turn notice into opportunity in the biggest fight of his UFC career.
