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Magomed Ankalaev won't take blame for 'boring' UFC Abu Dhabi win over Bogdan Guskov: "Wasn't up to me"

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Magomed Ankalaev won't take blame for 'boring' UFC Abu Dhabi win over Bogdan Guskov: "Wasn't up to me"

Magomed Ankalaev has heard the criticism of his UFC Abu Dhabi fight against Bodgan Guskov, but he refuses to take blame for it.

Ankalaev finished Guskov in the fifth round of their light heavyweight headliner this past Saturday. Guskov was widely panned for not making the most of his short-notice opportunity, filling in for Khalil Rountree. On the other side, Ankalaev has also gotten flak for playing it safe and not trying to finish Guskov far sooner.

“Big Ank†spoke to Red Corner MMA, and he said that he simply had a job to do and it was a success.

“Whether the fight was boring or not wasn't up to me,†Ankalaev said. “I was pressing forward. I wanted to fight, but my opponent stayed on the back foot and kept moving away. So I decided to wrestle and finish him on the ground.â€

Ankalaev then turned his attention to Paulo Costa, who recently made his return to the 205-pound division. “Borrachinha†has been has been calling for a big fight at light heavyweight, but Ankalaev isn't convinced that he wants the smoke.

“Costa didn't perform well in his division, then moved up, won one fight, and got loud. If he's ready to come forward, we'll be waiting for him. But if he's going to run and shy away, I see no point in fighting him.â€

After losing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in a rematch against Alex Pereira, Ankalaev is on the road back to the title. While Daniel Cormier believes so many changes have happened in the weight class that Ankalaev could get another title fight, others feel he should have at least one more fight.

At the moment, reigning 205-pound champion Carlos Ulberg is recovering from a torn ACL. His goal is to return in early 2027, but time will tell if the UFC brass books an interim title bout before 2026 comes to a close.

Do you put some of the blame for the lackluster UFC Abu Dhabi main event on Magomed Ankalaev, or is it mostly on Bogdan Guskov? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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MMA

Luke Riley predicts first-round KO of undefeated Tommy McMillen

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Luke Riley predicts first-round KO of undefeated Tommy McMillen
Two undefeated featherweight prospects could be on a collision
course.

Paddy
Pimblett's teammate, Luke Riley,
has revealed that he is likely to return to
Ultimate Fighting Championship action in December in Las Vegas.
However, the Liverpool native stopped short of issuing a callout.
When asked about a potential fight against Sean
O’Malley's teammate Tommy
McMillen, Riley admitted that he likes the matchup, predicting
a quick finish.

Luke Riley likes a potential UFC matchup with fellow unbeaten
featherweight Tommy McMillen

Riley praised McMillen for bringing more attention to the
featherweight division and said he'll gladly accept a fight against
the polarizing American. The Englishman believes that he'd knock
McMillen out in the first round if they squared off.

“Me and Tommy would have a great fight,†Riley told Ronins MMA.
“Look, I like Tommy. He's bringing the fire back to the division. I
like what he's doing. So, me and Tommy would have a great fight. I
would knock Tommy out in Round 1. 100%.â€

Riley (14-0) has finished two of his three UFC wins since making
his promotional debut last year. He is coming off a first-round
stoppage of Kai Kamaka
III from this past July. Meanwhile, McMillen (12-0) has also
finished two of his three UFC wins since making his Octagon debut
this past April and has earned a bonus for each win.

The
Dana White's Contender Series signee handed fellow prospect
Marwan
Rahiki his first professional loss in a three-round war in a
Fight of the Year contender at
Noche UFC 4.

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Sedriques Dumas points to late opponent switch following 57-second UFC loss

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Sedriques Dumas points to late opponent switch following 57-second UFC loss
Sedriques
Dumas believes a short-notice opponent change worked against
him in his latest outing in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Dumas was originally scheduled to fight Mickey Gall
in a middleweight matchup at
UFC Vegas 121 on Sept. 26. However, Gall was pulled from the
fight due to an undisclosed medical issue less than three days
before the event.
Dana White's Contender Series graduate Luis
Hernandez stepped in on short notice and needed just 57 seconds
to force a tap via a standing guillotine choke in his Octagon
debut.

Hernandez earned a $100,000 performance bonus, while Dumas is now
winless in his last five bouts.

Sedriques Dumas addresses Luis Hernandez loss after Mickey Gall
withdrawal

Considering the late switch after Gall's withdrawal, the bout was
moved to light heavyweight and Dumas weighed in significantly below
Hernandez. Hernandez dominated from the outset and overpowered
Dumas in the grappling exchanges before locking in the finish in
just 57 seconds.

Addressing the loss, Dumas noted that he spent months preparing for
Gall. While he believes that the sudden change of opponent didn't
work out for him, he's unbothered about criticism and vows to focus
on bettering himself.

“To be real, I got nothing to say to people besides I just love
what I do and if you was in a predicament getting ready for
somebody for months, we gotta switch guess what something don’t
work out as favor,†Dumas wrote on his Instagram stories. “I give
two else about what people say how people feel I know I gotta fix
me and that’s just it. Thank you for my team and the ones I asked
you support me. Awesome hope Mickey gets well.â€

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Magomed Zaynukov shuts down UFC Qatar fight rumors, out until 2027

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Magomed Zaynukov shuts down UFC Qatar fight rumors, out until 2027
Magomed
Zaynukov has ruled out a return in 2026.

Zaynukov underwent surgery earlier this year for a lingering hand
injury. “Wild Chanco†is now recovering and has resumed training.
Recent rumors have linked a matchup Zaynukov and Manoel
Sousa for UFC Qatar
in November. However, he recently took to social media to shut down
the rumors.

Magomed Zaynukov says he never signed to fight Manoel Sousa at
UFC Qatar

The Dagestani lightweight also revealed that he won't be fighting
for the rest of the year, as he continues to recover from
surgery.

“I didn't sign any contract for this fight,†Zaynukov wrote on his
Instagram Stories. “I won't be fighting this year due to surgery.
I'm currently undergoing rehabilitation and recovery.â€

Zaynukov (9-0) amassed a substantial fan following as Islam
Makhachev's teammate even before joining the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. The undefeated 31-year-old made
his Octagon debut this past July, scoring a unanimous decision win
over Damian
Rzepecki after earning a contract on
Dana White's Contender Series.

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