Magomed Ankalaev returns to competition Saturday night at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi for a UFC Fight Night main event matchup against Bogdan Guskov. The bout marks Ankalaev’s first fight since a rematch with Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title, in which he competed despite entering with a significant rib injury.
Guskov was brought in as a late replacement after the original opponent, Khalil Rountree Jr., withdrew due to injury. Guskov had been preparing for a separate fight scheduled for the following week in Serbia before accepting this assignment. The challenger enters the contest riding a four-fight winning streak, though he most recently earned a draw against Jan Blachowicz, another former champion, and had been readying a rematch with Blachowicz before this opportunity arose.
The card features several notable matchups beyond the main event. Steve Erceg, a former title challenger, returns to action in a flyweight bout against Ramazan Temirov. Heavyweight contender Valter Walker takes on Thomas Peterson in a preliminary fight, while experienced welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio faces rising contender Sam Patterson.
The event begins at Noon ET and streams exclusively on Paramount+, where UFC content is now housed under a long-term deal. All UFC numbered events and UFC Fight Night cards are included with a Paramount+ subscription at no additional cost, with plans beginning at $8.99 monthly or $89.99 annually.
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