Two light-heavyweights who are somewhat new to the UFC faced off on the UFC Vegas 86 prelims as Bogdan Guskov knocked out TUF finalist Zac Pauga.
Pauga made it to the finale of Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where he lost to Mohammad Usman. That was at heavyweight, but Pauga is a natural 205er and so the UFC signed him to his preferred weight class, where he has since gone 1-1. Guskov got to the big show in a different way, as a short notice replacement that was needed in Paris when ranked fighter Volkan Oezdemir’s opponent pulled out. He lost, but there was no shame in that given the competition and short notice. The UFC surely hoped that his exciting, KO-heavy style would result in exciting fights.
Pauga was active to start, kicking Guskov’s legs and bouncing on the balls of his feet. Soon they began trading swings as Guskov tried to get inside on Pauga, but did not land clean. However, twenty seconds later Guskov landed a two-punch combination that hurt Pauga. Zac was able to survive by clinching up and holding Bogdan against the fence for a minute and a half, though Pauga did little damage there until landing an elbow on the break. With ninety seconds left, Guskov finally connected with clean punches again. He rushed in and threw from wierd angles, all of his punches coming from really wide, even the straight ones. Four straight shots landed; the first two rocked Pauga, the third put him out, and the forth was moot.
The walk off 🥶 #UFCVegas86 pic.twitter.com/NisCBKJF3V
— UFC (@ufc) February 10, 2024
Guskov earned his first win in the UFC in impressive fashion, continuing his streak of only ever winning by finish in his pro MMA career with his thirteenth knockout. In his post-fight interview, Guskov called Daniel Cormer his hero and said, to the delight of the internet, “This is more good than like sex, you know?”
Official Result: Bogdan Guskov def. Zac Pauga by KO (punches), Round 1, 3:38
