An injury to Khalil Rountree Jr. has paved the way for a new main event at UFC Abu Dhabi later this month.
Announced on Monday, the Fight Night card on July 25, 2026 will now be headlined by Rountree’s original opponent, Magomed Ankalaev (20-2-1, 1NC), taking on rising light heavyweight Bogdan Guskov (18-3-1).
A former light heavyweight champion, Ankalaev will be competing for the first time since losing the belt to the man from which he won it, Alex Pereira, last October (Pereira later vacated the title ahead of his move to heavyweight). The Dagestani has just one other loss on his professional record, in his promotional debut against Paul Craig.
Guskov fought to a draw with another ex-champ, Jan Błachowicz, this past December, and had put together a four-fight finishing streak prior to that. He’s ranked #9 in the UFC’s official rankings as voted on by members of the media; Ankalaev sits at #1. Magomed Ankalaev is #2, and Guskov #10, in the AI-compiled META UFC rankings, which have left Alex Pereira ranked #1 in the weight class, despite his move to heavyweight.
UFC Abu Dhabi takes place on July 25, 2026 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which was previously the site of many “Fight Island” shows during the coronavirus pandemic.
