Athletes
Magomed Ankalaev Is Keen To Put Things Right
Former Light Heavyweight Champion Blames Himself For His Title Loss. Now He’s Back, And Ready To Fight His Way Back To The Belt.
Former undisputed light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev has experienced plenty during his 24-fight MMA career, but one thing he hasn’t had to deal with too often is what happens after a defeat. Ankalaev had lost just once heading into his championship rematch against Alex Pereira at UFC 320 last October. But his first-round, TKO defeat to “Poatan” saw his career hit the buffers as he lost his title in his first title defense.
After spending his entire career preparing to become a champion, Ankalaev’s reign lasted just one fight. But, as he told UFC.com, he was able to turn the negative of a loss into a positive.
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“For different fighters, it's different,” he explained. “After a loss, some people cannot come back for a while. They come back altered. For me, I think the loss was an experience that made me better. I think I'm one of those guys that comes back stronger, and just moving forward, I cannot wait for [this] fight.”
Ankalaev returns this weekend in the main event in Abu Dhabi, where he was originally set to face fellow contender Khalil Rountree Jr. However, after Rountree was forced to withdraw from the fight card due to injury, Uzbekistan’s Bodgan Guskov was drafted in, with Ankalaev facing a very different fighter to the one he’d spent his training camp preparing for.
Despite the inconvenience of the opponent change, Ankalaev seemed calm and unconcerned, and said he’d just continue his fight week, as usual.
“This is a big sport. This is a big league, so things happen like that – a lot of injuries and things like that. So I was ready,” he said. “I was preparing for a specific opponent. The opponent changed, but not much changed for me. I was prepared for anybody.”
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The change also means Ankalaev will be facing lower-ranked opposition on Saturday night. Rather than the sixth-ranked former title challenger Rountree, he’ll be facing Guskov, who sits ninth in the division.
As far as Ankalaev is concerned, the fight carries no less significance for him, despite the change of opponent.
Magomed Ankalaev: 'I'm 100 Percent Sure I Will Get The Belt Back' | UFC Abu Dhabi
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Magomed Ankalaev: 'I'm 100 Percent Sure I Will Get The Belt Back' | UFC Abu Dhabi
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Guskov enters the fight with a 100 percent finish rate from his 18 career victories, but when asked about the Uzbek’s penchant for finishing fights, Ankalaev played down the dangers posed by his short-notice opponent.
“I’m not too worried about that,” he said. “He doesn't have that many fights in the UFC. I think he has three or four finishes in the UFC. That doesn't affect me in any way. For me, this is just another fight.”
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For Ankalaev, this is a bounce-back fight, and a chance to get back to winning ways in order to resume his charge back to the title once again. While some fighters might feel frustrated at the title loss, then the late change of opponent for their comeback fight, Ankalaev said he’s got plenty to be energized about.
“The motivation is definitely there,” he stated. “I understand that it is my fault and is because of my mistake that I lost the belt in the first place. So now I'm motivated to come back and get it back, and I think that I'm 100 percent sure that I will be able to get it back.”
If things remain in place at the top of the division, that would mean an eventual meeting with New Zealand’s Carlos Ulberg, who defeated former champion Jiri Prochazka to capture the vacant light heavyweight title after Pereira relinquished the title to move up to heavyweight.
“Yeah, I'm happy that Carlos was the one who won that belt,” Ankalaev admitted. “It seems as though he's had a lot of fights. He had a lot of knockouts, and what can I say? He's a great fighter.
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“But you know, it didn't seem like he had too many challenges in his fighting career. He didn't have too many grueling fights or things like that. So, if we get an opportunity to fight, and if we get an opportunity to take him into deeper waters, we'll see how he fares there.”
To get that opportunity, Ankalaev needs to do the business against Guskov on Saturday night at Etihad Arena, and he said he plans on delivering a big performance to remind the world exactly who he is.
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“I need to come out and show 100 percent of what kind of fighter I am,” he said. “I know that I don't get fights easy, so I will wait for the next fight. I will fight whoever I have to fight until I have to come and beat the champion.
“I think it's going to be a very exciting fight. I think I'm going to dominate the entire fight, and very soon you will see exactly how it ends.”
UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Guskov took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on July 25, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!