Ankalaev-Guskov Headlines UFC Abu Dhabi

Magomed Ankalaev will return to competition in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event, facing Bogdan Guskov in a light heavyweight matchup that changed less than two weeks before fight night. Guskov stepped in after an injury forced Khalil Rountree Jr. out of the Saturday headliner, creating a new assignment for Ankalaev in his first appearance since losing his title to Alex Pereira last October. UFC.com lists the event as UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Guskov, scheduled for July 25, 2026, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The late main-event change gives the card a clear immediate storyline while leaving Ankalaev with the stated aim of moving back toward the title picture. Guskov arrives as the No. 9-ranked light heavyweight contender and carries an 18-3-1 record, along with a 100 percent finish rate. Ankalaev is listed at 21-2-1 with one no contest. The matchup is not the only part of the main card with divisional relevance: a meeting between No. 8 heavyweight Rizvan Kuniev and No. 9 Tyrell Fortune puts two Top 10 contenders opposite one another. The program also includes two UFC newcomers and a returning Dana White’s Contender Series standout.

A reshaped main event and ranked heavyweight bout

Ankalaev’s return is defined by two confirmed points from the event announcement: it is his first fight since last October’s title loss to Pereira, and his original opponent is no longer available. Rountree’s injury led to Guskov accepting the main-event opportunity on less than two weeks’ notice. That sequence matters because the event is no longer built around the originally scheduled pairing; instead, it presents Ankalaev against a ranked replacement who has finished every opponent he has beaten according to the supplied 100 percent finish-rate figure. UFC.com describes Ankalaev as a former light heavyweight champion fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia. Guskov, fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan, is identified as the No. 9 contender. The source says Ankalaev is looking to get back into the title picture, but it does not identify any further booking or title opportunity beyond this bout. The available information therefore establishes the stakes as a return bout for Ankalaev and a short-notice main event for Guskov, without settling what follows for either man.

The heavyweight contest between Kuniev and Fortune supplies a separate ranked matchup on the same main card. Kuniev is No. 8 and Fortune is No. 9, making it a direct meeting of adjacent Top 10 contenders rather than a contest between an established ranked fighter and an unranked opponent. Kuniev is listed with a 13-3-1 record and one no contest, while Fortune is listed at 18-3 with two no contests. Elsewhere, former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg, the No. 10-ranked contender, meets Ramazan Temirov. Erceg is seeking his second win of the year, according to the event preview. These details give the card several distinct competitive threads beyond the altered main event.

Debuts and returns add to the Abu Dhabi card

The main card also features Islam Dulatov’s return after a year-long layoff. Dulatov, a Dana White’s Contender Series standout, is listed at 12-1 and is coming off a first-round knockout in his prior UFC appearance last year. He faces Wellington Turman, who is set for his first Octagon appearance since 2023. That pairing connects a returning UFC prospect with an opponent also returning after an extended absence from the Octagon. Magomed Zaynukov makes his UFC debut against Damian Rzepecki in a matchup of unbeaten newcomers. Zaynukov is listed at 8-0 and earned his UFC contract on the latest season of Dana White’s Contender Series. Rzepecki is listed at 10-0. In the main-card opener, Abubakar Vagaev makes his Octagon debut against Saygid Izagakhmaev. Together, those bouts give the event a mix of established ranked contests, a title-picture return, and fighters entering or re-entering the UFC stage.

• Main event: Former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev faces No. 9-ranked Bogdan Guskov after Guskov replaced the injured Khalil Rountree Jr. on less than two weeks’ notice.
• Notable newcomers: Magomed Zaynukov, an 8-0 Dana White’s Contender Series graduate, debuts against unbeaten 10-0 newcomer Damian Rzepecki, while Abubakar Vagaev makes his Octagon debut against Saygid Izagakhmaev.

UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Guskov is set to begin with prelims at 9am ET and 6am PT, followed by the main card at 12pm ET and 9am PT. The event is scheduled for Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on July 25, 2026, with the full card available live on Paramount+ in the United States. The confirmed late change at the top places Ankalaev and Guskov at the center of a main card that also includes a Top 10 heavyweight clash, Dulatov’s return, and two separate UFC debuts.