MMA

UFC Abu Dhabi predictions

Published

2 months ago

July 24, 2026

It took years for Magomed Ankalaev to climb to the top of the light heavyweight mountain, and less than 90 seconds for his reign to end. There's no telling how long it will take him to make it back, but he takes his first steps to another championship opportunity at UFC Abu Dhabi.

Saturday's main event features Ankalaev in his first fight since a brutal knockout loss to rival Alex Pereira at UFC 320 this past October. Ankalaev was originally set to face Khalil Rountree Jr., but with Rountree forced to withdraw, in steps up-and-coming contender Bogdan Guskov. This is a change of plans for Guskov as well as he was lined up to rematch Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade next week, only for the matchmakers to call upon him to save the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner.

For one reason or another, Ankalaev has seemingly never been a favorite of the UFC's shot-callers as it took a seven-year unbeaten streak for him to earn his first title shot; now, he needs to stifle Guskov just to keep his spot in line. On the other side, Guskov is undefeated in his past five fights and suddenly finds himself with an opportunity to jump into the top 5 of the rankings.

Will it be status quo or a new face in the title picture by the end of the weekend?

Where: Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi

When: Saturday, July 25. The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 9 a.m. ET, followed by a six-fight main card at 12 p.m. ET. The entire event streams live on Paramount+.

(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings and MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings)

Magomed Ankalaev (3, P4P-17) vs. Bogdan Guskov (12)

Magomed Ankalaev has to find a way to control the action against a wild card of an opponent.

Assuming Bogdan Guskov fights like a man with nothing to lose, this is a dangerous matchup for Ankalaev. Even if you consider Ankalaev to be levels above Guskov in terms of technique, there's no questioning Guskov's power and if he just marches in chucking, he has a better than good chance of catching Ankalaev and putting him down. Boom, new contender.

Fortunately for Ankalaev, he's an expert at defusing his opponents' offense, which I know sounds laughable considering the last time we saw him he was getting sparked in under 90 seconds by Alex Pereira. But Guskov isn't â€œPoatanâ€ and I buy the excuse that Ankalaev at less than 100 percent for that rematch (because that's the best way to explain why he looked so awful). The real Ankalaev has excellent footwork and usually knows how to keep his chin off of the center line. It will take a big mistake for Guskov to clip him.

When Ankalaev has an opponent eager to come forward, that's when he has a chance to show off his own finishing ability, and I like him to frustrate Guskov for two rounds before putting him down with strikes in the third.

Steve Erceg (14) vs. Ramazan Temirov

As far as gatekeepers go, Steve Erceg is one of the best, and he has a hungry would-be contender knocking at the door in Ramazan Temirov.

We don't quite know what we have yet with the Temirov, a talented 29-year-old from Uzbekistan who competes for the first time in over 500 days after failing a drug test and receiving a one-year suspension in 2025. He likes to hunt for the knockout early, but showed he can win a striking battle over three rounds as well with an impressive win against Charles Johnson. How hot will he come out of the gates against Erceg?

Erceg is as tough as they come, but we've seen him go down early once against Kai Kara-France. He tends to start slow, collect data, and then outwork and outthink his opponents. That strategy could certainly pay off against Temirov should Erceg survive the opening round.

I actually think Erceg will avoid the stoppage, but I still like Temirov's aggression to pay off in the long run. He wins on points and more importantly, we learn more about whether Temirov can actually be a future contender at 125 pounds.

Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman

We all know what this matchup is.

Islam Dulatov is a talented and highly marketable welterweight prospect. Wellington Turman has been sidelined with shoulder issues for the better part of the last three years and is on a three-fight losing streak dating back to early 2022. You'll be shocked to hear Dulatov is the biggest favorite on the card, with FanDuel currently having him at -950. And that might be generous to Turman.

This is a showcase for Dulatov and I fully expect him to take advantage of the opportunity, picking Turman apart with strikes from range before landing the perfect shot and adding another highlight finish to his record.

Magomed Zaynukov vs. Damian Rzepecki

Alright, Magomed Zaynukov, let's turn your memes into dreams. Or something.

â€œChancoâ€â€”or â€œJohn Pork,â€ if you're so inclinedâ€”finally makes his UFC debut after being one of the most talked-about fighters coming out of the most recent season of Dana White's Contender Series. Not only have fans had endless fun with Zaynukov's unwanted nickname, but he's frequently been touted by mentors Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov as one to watch at 155 pounds. At 31, the time is now for Zaynukov to prove in his UFC debut that he's more than just another of MMA's lovable periphery characters.

I'm a little surprised the matchmakers paired him up with Damian Rzepecki, a fellow undefeated fighter who has showed promise in his pre-UFC career, including winning and defending a Fight Exclusive Night lightweight title. Based on their recent performances, I've seen no strong indicator that Zaynukov should just run through Rzepecki.

Both fighters are willing to get into a dirty scrap, both mix the martial arts effectively, and both have a ton to prove in their first UFC appearances. Zaynukov has a clear edge in output as he utilizes boxing combinations to close the distance, but Rzepecki hits hard and he only needs one or two good shots to take control of the fight. I'm stumped.

Give me Zaynukov since I expect him to be busier on the feet and do enough to take a decision, but your guess is as good as mine.

Rizvan Kuniev (9) vs. Tyrell Fortune

I'm just going to say it: I'm not ready to consider the possibility that Tyrell Fortune is a top 10 UFC heavyweight. Then again, I didn't expect him to beat Marcin Tybura either and now here we are.

For years, Fortune was treading water in Bellator, proving himself to be a good-not-great heavyweight and seemingly content to stay in that zone. Then, out of nowhere, he makes his UFC debut and not only wins but does so against a rankings stalwart. Now he has one win away from having a single digit next to his name, something that seemed unfathomable six months ago.

Rizvan Kuniev hasn't exactly wowed in the cage, but he should still be more than well-rounded enough to beat Fortune. There's nothing pretty about how Kuniev gets it done, he's strong, his striking is solid, and his cardio is better than you'd expect. Damning with faint praise, but this is heavyweight in 2026.

This could get stupid ugly if it goes the distance, so let's be optimistic and pick Kuniev to find a finish before the halfway mark of the fight for all of our sakes.

Abubakar Vagaev vs. Saygid Izagakhmaev

The game plan for Saygid Izagakhmaev is clear: Go for takedowns and make Abubakar Vagaev think twice about coming forward. Vagaev, who was most recently seen earning a unanimous decision nod in a welterweight title fight against UFC veteran Albert Tumenov, has a Terminator-esque approach to striking at times and he'll look to walk Izagakhmaev from the moment the bell rings.

One thing Vagaev isn't known for is his finishing ability (just four KOs and one sub in 24 wins), so he relies on methodical pressure to win fights. Izagakhmaev has to stay off the cage to spoil Vagaev's debut, which is easier said than done because much of this fight could take place on the edges of the canvas as Izagakhmaev fights for openings to put Vagaev on his back.

Vagaev has more than enough takedown defense to nullify Izagakhmaev's strategy, so he should cruise to a decision in the standup.

Valter Walker (15) def. Thomas Petersen

Dustin Jacoby def. Muhammad Said

Sam Patterson def. Santiago Ponzinibbio

Axel Sola def. Ismael Bonfim

Magomed Tuchalov def. Brendson Ribeiro

Mike Davis def. Nurullo Aliev

Abdul Hussein def. Cody Gibson

MMA

Should MMA ban oblique kicks? A fighter who had his knee torn in a UFC title fight weighs in

Published

3 hours ago

September 26, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Should MMA ban oblique kicks? A fighter who had his knee torn in a UFC title fight weighs in

California State Athletic Commission director Andy Foster and UFC CEO Dana White recently came out to support the idea of banning oblique kicks, but one fighter who had his career changed due to those strikes has a different stance.

Thiago Santos did a good job in his UFC title bout against Jon Jones in 2019, losing a split decision despite the fact he had both knees injured. The damage caused to his left knee was caused by lateral knee kicks, and his right one was already hurt going into UFC 239.

Santos had to undergo double knee surgery, and a lengthy recovery period, before eventually fighting again more than a year later, but lost four of his next five before parting ways with the UFC.

â€œI personally don't see the need for it,â€ Santos told MMA Fighting. â€œI don't see it as an illegal technique, a technique that's that difficult to defend from. Then you're going to say it causes a lot of damage. Man, I think a well-placed kick, like an Edson Barboza kick, a well-placed low kick to the knee can also cause a lot of damage. And the guy has the option to block it or move his leg out of the way. So I think it works the same way. The guy can bend his knee, move his leg out of the way, move to the side. There are a few ways to avoid it. I don't know, that's just my opinion. I don't see it as something that needs to be banned.â€

Santos, in fact, would suggest once again banning 12-6 elbows before worrying about oblique kicks. In the end, â€œMarretaâ€ thinks that more restrictions could â€œend up hurting the sportâ€ and officials should instead focus on other topics.

â€œI think there are other more important things they should be focusing on,â€ Santos said. â€œLike strikes that are actually illegal, like shots to the back of the head, eye pokes. To actually change the rules and impose more severe punishments for those things. Those are the things that are really concerning. You look at the case of Alex Pereira himself, you look at the case of the former heavyweight champion [Tom Aspinall], who almost went blind. Those are things that really need attention, and they should be concerned about imposing harsher penalties on people who do that, so that fighters are more concerned about not committing those infractions. That's what they should be focusing on, not these oblique kicks.â€

Married to UFC fighter Yana Santos, and still active in combat sports at age 42, â€œMarretaâ€ is on the fence about fighting again under regular MMA bouts. He won't lay his gloves down, but isn't actively pursuing long deals either.

â€œI consider myself retired,â€ Santos said. â€œI still do it not for the money, but because I still feel capable of doing it. If you look at my last few fights, even with the losses, I'm not a guy who gets hit a lot, and I'm not a guy that people just run through. I'm still competitive. My last fight, I lost and broke my hand in the first round against a guy who was 20 pounds heavier, a striker, and even so, I went three rounds with him and it was a split decision. You don't really see a huge disparity against me, a 42-year-old who was 20 pounds lighter.â€

â€œI still feel like I can stretch it out a little bit longer, but I don't have a career plan,â€ he continued. â€œI'm at the end of my career. I consider myself retired, but I'm not the kind of guy who's going to go on the internet and post that I'm retired from MMA. I look at it the same way I did when I left the Armed Forces. When you leave the Armed Forces, you go into the reserve. That's how I see myself in MMA as well.â€

MMA

UFC Vegas 121 predictions

Published

5 hours ago

September 26, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

We're back at the Apex for the 12th of 20 straight weeks of UFC events, and has often been the trend this year we have new blood taking on a wisened veteran in the main event.

Bantamweight wunderkind Raul Rosas Jr. headlines for the first time as he takes on Raoni Barcelos in Saturday's UFC Vegas 121 (or The Ultimate Fighter 34 Finale, if you're cool) main event. Both Rosas and Barcelos are on five-fight win streaks, but coming in at different angles. The 22-year-old Rosas has hit his stride as he aims to fulfill his promise to become the youngest champion in UFC history, while Barcelos, 39, has put together the best stretch of his career against a few fellow veterans and another of the 135-pound division's blue-chippers, Payton Talbott.

Tonight we find out if Rosas is ready for another step up in competition or if Barcelos can continue his unexpected run to a title shot.

All that, plus a bantamweight bout between Norma Dumont and Ailin Perez that could produce a UFC title challenger, and a pair of TUF 34 tournament finals.

Where: Meta Apex in Las Vegas

When: Saturday, Sept. 26. The seven-fight early preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET, followed by a five-fight main card at 8 p.m. ET. The entire event streams live on Paramount+.

(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings)

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos (13)

I like what I've seen from Raul Rosas Jr. as the matchmakers have consistently pitted him against more experienced competition. He's starting to utilize his unique mix of size and speed more effectively, and the cardio issues that plagued him early on have been corrected. Enough to give him the edge in a five-round fight? We'll see.

For those of you keeping score at home, Rosas has never fought for a full 25 minutes, while Raoni Barcelos has done so a couple of times in his pre-UFC days. One would assume the considerably younger Rosas has the advantage should the fight progress into the later rounds, but Barcelos has remained in great shape throughout his career and has done a fair job of fending off Father Time.

Technique-wise, Rosas continues to improve, though he still has a ways to go when it comes to turning his slick footwork into effective offense. His best path to victory lies in his wrestling, a skill Barcelos will be happy to put up against his own.

This is the right level of competition for Rosas and I expect a strong effort, but I like the more well-rounded Barcelos to force Rosas to stand with him and dictate the action. Once we get to the championship rounds, it will become increasingly clear who is going to pull ahead in the final stretch. I'm going with Barcelos to earn the nod as Rosas once again levels up in defeat.

Norma Dumont (T3) vs. Ailin Perez (6)

We've got a genuine grudge match on our hands here, with Norma Dumont vowing to do things to Ailin Perez that would get her arrested, and Perez confident she's in Dumont's head. All that, plus the winner has a good chance of ending up in a UFC bantamweight title fight next? The schedule makers did the right thing bumping this from the prelims to the co-main event.

Look, I'm not pretending this fight will be pretty. Dumont and Perez's shared animosity is just as likely to give us heated striking exchanges as it is to give us mucky grappling against the fence and on the mat. There will be times good sense goes out the window as these contenders go all out for a win.

Suffice to say, this favors Dumont on the feet and Perez on the ground, so the breakdown here is simple: I believe Dumont has the takedown defense to wear Perez out, and just enough pop in her punches to make Perez think twice about recklessly closing the distance. Eventually, Perez will be out of ideas, and Dumont's striking will carry her to the decision win.

Luis Hernandez vs. Sedriques Dumas

A deputy sheriff taking on a guy with one of the longest rap sheets in UFC history? Well played.

I'll never understand the UFC's fascination with Sedriques Dumas. Character issues aside, the man has not been involved in a single memorable fight and he hasn't picked up a win since 2024. What are we doing? The originally scheduled matchup with Mickey Gall was truly mystifying, and once Gall pulled out, why not just scrub the whole thing?

On the other hand, Luis Hernandez getting this short-notice opportunity makes a lot of sense. Hernandez is fresh off of a Dana White Contender Series signing and while he's not the most technically skilled fighter, the dude is all gas, no brakes, and I've heard they like that sort of thing in Las Vegas. If anything, he might be the perfect opponent to draw some excitement out of Dumas.

Dumas has a significant size advantage, but I've seen Hernandez deal with that before, so I like his chances of just slugging his way in even with Dumas landing a few good shots. Hernandez breaks Dumas down with his pressure and finishes late in the second.

Mahammadali Osmanli vs. Ilimbek AkylbekMelissa Amaya vs. Tina Black

The usual disclaimer: After all these years, I'm still deeply invested in The Ultimate Fighter, and somehow I'm also terrible at picking tournament finals winners. Last year, I nailed Daniil Donchenko and the underdog Joseph Morales, but the year before went 0-2 picking Kaan Ofli and Robert Valentin. Generally it's been a mixed bag and, again, considering how many hours of my life I've dedicated to this show, that's pretty sad.

But I feel good about this season's picks!

The bantamweight final features two prospects just starting their careers, as 22-year-old Mahammadali Osmanli takes on 23-year-old Ilimbek Akylbek. Osmanli enters with considerable hype, having finished both his opponents during this TUF 34 run and having the kind of larger-than-life swagger that teammate Xavier Franklin likened to that of Conor McGregor. He's a striker at heart, but prefers to finish via submission once he smells blood.

Akylbek projects as a classic wrestle grinder, so we'll learn early whether he can outmuscle Osmanli and, if so, whether he can sustain that offense for three rounds.

On the strawweight side, we have a true clash of styles and background with Combate Global standout Melissa Amaya facing former Invicta FC champion Tina Black. Amaya set herself apart from the rest of the cast with her unrelenting toughness, backed by a potent wrestling game perfectly designed to deal with strikers like Black; on the other hand, Black's pure punching power has made her a feared prospect for years, and she also has the gas tank to scrap for three rounds if Amaya refuses to back down.

Normally, Amaya's unique brand of stick-to-itiveness would be enough to convince me she can pull off the upset, but Black is seasoned and I think she finds ways to keep this standing where she has the advantage. Give me Black via a hard-fought decision.

I am buying into the Osmanli hype though, if only because Akylbek is just as raw at this point in their careers. Osmanli's talent will shine through and all it will take is one mistake for Osmanli to catch Akylbek with a knockout flurry.

Rinya Nakamura def. Brady Hiestand

Rodolfo Vieira def. Robert Bryczek

Rodolfo Bellato def. Christian Edwards

Elves Brener def. Josiah Harrell

Ricky Simon def. Montel Jackson

John Castaneda def. Alatengheili

Yazmin Jauregui def. Vanessa Demopoulos

MMA

BKFC 94 Results: Till vs. Romero

Published

14 hours ago

September 26, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

MMA Fighting has BKFC 94 results at the Till vs. Romero fight card, a live blog of the main event, and more from the AO Arena in Manchester, England, on Saturday afternoon.

In the main event, UFC veterans Darren Till and Yoel Romero collide in a 190-pound catchweight contest.

BKFC middleweight champion Dave Mundell puts his belt on the line against Jack Cullen in the co-main event.

Check out the BKFC 94 results below.