Magomed Ankalaev is catching a lot of heat for his performance this past weekend, and Chris Weidman thinks that's misplaced.
MMA
Morning Report | Chris Weidman says Magomed Ankalaev not to blame for UFC Abu Dhabi fiasco: ‘I think it was Guskov’s fault’
Published
3 weeks agoon
On Saturday, Ankalaev fought Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, in one of the worst fights of 2026. For most of the fight, Ankalaev and Guskov circled the cage and barely engaged, ultimately ending in the fifth round when Ankalaev took Guskov down and scored a TKO with ground and pound.
In the aftermath, fans and fighters were quick to trash the bout and Ankalaev's performance, especially given that he already has a bit of a reputation for lacking excitement in his fights. But UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman thinks that's not fair.
“I think he's as good as we always thought he was,†Weidman said on Deep Waters. “I think he's very good, and so you want to see him go out there and just dominate this guy. The first couple of rounds, I think he was taking his time. The third round, I think he made a decision, realized that Bogdan isn't going to, like, throw at him crazy and go to war with him. He tried to push the pace, he tried to look for the finish, and Guskov was running from him. He shot for a takedown and took him down super easy, ends up getting the finish by TKO. It wasn't a super exciting fight, but I don't think this one was his fault. I think it was Guskov's fault.â€
“I don't think it was his fault,†Weidman continued. “First couple rounds, five-round fight, you do have to pace yourself a little bit, feel it out. But he dominated the fight everywhere. This was the first time seeing him wrestle in a long time, and he looked great in the wrestling department.â€
Not many in the fanbase seem to share Weidman's optimism, though, with fans and fighters freely bashing the fight and the performance. Which Weidman thinks is nuts, when you just think about what happened.
â€You know what's crazy, we're talking about this guy like it's a negative,†Weidman said. “He finished a guy who's very dangerous, so you've got to give him props. I feel like we're being harder on him than most people because I think we realize he's that good. The guy goes out there and gets a finish, and we're still saying it was boring.â€
Ankalaev himself seems to recognize that despite winning, this performance probably didn't do him any favors with the UFC or the fanbase. He also blamed the lack of action on Guskov's unwillingness to engage, and then discussed fighting Paulo Costa next. But Weidman has another idea, one that seems impossible to deliver anything other than an action-packed fight: former champion Jiri Prochazka.
â€How about Jiri?†Weidman said when matchmaking for Ankalaev. “How about Jiri vs. Ankalaev for the true No. 1 contender? They haven't fought yet. Jiri and Ankalaev, why don't we just do that?â€
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Plans. Islam Makhachev reveals his game plan for Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330: ‘I have to follow him, he runs too much.'
Serious. Dan Hooker says he's been receiving ‘outrageous' death threats after booking Salahdine Parnasse fight.
205. Carlos Ulberg lays out how he would book UFC light heavyweight title contender picture.
Boxing. Dana White confirms interest in working with Gervonta ‘Tank' Davis: ‘We've talked to them.'
BKFC. Darren Till vs. Yoel Romero booked for BKFC event in Manchester.
BTS. The Ultimate Insider: Behind the scenes of TUF 34, UFC hopefuls choose sleep over training.
Islam Makhachev interview.
Mighty Mouse is a Chanko fan.
The greatest first-round KOs in UFC history.
On to the Next One. The Best Friends Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss whether UFC Abu Dhabi main event winner Magomed Ankalaev has done enough to earn another title shot, plus more future matchups for Saturday's winners.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Paddy out here enjoying the win.
Nothing strange about that.
A reigning world champion and some guy in a yellow shirt.
It's kind of shocking they haven't already done this, considering how cheap kickboxing talent can be acquired for.
Scott Coker making moves.
Looks like he's taking Conor Benn prep very seriously.
Darren Till vs. Yoel Romero (bare-knuckle boxing); BKFC 94, Sept. 26
What's your favorite MMA tattoo?
Personally, I'm a huge fan of Andre Fili's ‘Where the Wild Things Are' piece on his stomach.
Rec 3ReplyRead 16 replies
Book Jiri vs. Ank because there's no way it can be boring.
If you find something you'd like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKLee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and like us on Facebook.
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		<h1>DWCS Week 2 official after all 10 fighters make weight</h1>
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				<a href=”/authors/Sourav-Chakraborty-1731″>Sourav Chakraborty</a>				<span>Aug 18, 2026</span>				 <a class=”comments” href=”https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/DWCS-Week-2-official-after-all-10-fighters-make-weight-202403#insticator-commenting” data-page-id=”article-202403″/>			</div>
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 The next crop of <a href=”/organizations/Ultimate-Fighting-Championship-2″>
Ultimate Fighting Championship</a> hopefuls are ready for Week 2 of
<a href=”/organizations/Dana-Whites-Contender-Series-12411″>
Dana White's Contender Series</a> Season 10.<p>DWCS returns for <a href=”/events/Dana-Whites-Contender-Series-Contender-Series-2026-Week-2-112629″>
Week 2</a> with five bouts scheduled as fighters look to impress
UFC CEO Dana White and the promotion's matchmakers. UFC contracts
are up for grabs for those who stand out.</p><p/><div id=”adViAi”><div class=”viaititle”>Advertisement</div></div>

<h2>Full Dana White's Contender Series Week 2 weigh-in results</h2>
<p>All 10 fighters made weight for the card. The action gets underway
at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Paramount+.</p><p/><div id=”adIn”><div id=”ad300in” data-id=”ad300in” class=”gpt-ad”/></div>

Here are all the weigh-in results ahead of DWCS Week 2:<p>Welterweight Featured Bout: <a href=”/fighter/Namo-Fazil-381647″>Namo Fazil</a>
(170.5) vs. <a href=”/fighter/Kaik-Brito-204891″>Kaik Brito</a>
(169.5)<br/>
Middleweight: <a href=”/fighter/Douglas-Henrique-Rodrigues-291629″>Douglas
Henrique Rodrigues</a> (183.5) vs. <a href=”/fighter/Trent-Miller-382805″>Trent
Miller</a> (185.5)<br/>
Lightweight: <a href=”/fighter/Logan-Paxton-291785″>Logan
Paxton</a> (155) vs. <a href=”/fighter/Cristian-Perez-244701″>Cristian
Perez</a> (155)<br/>
Light Heavyweight: <a href=”/fighter/Alik-Lorenz-347505″>Alik Lorenz</a>
(205) vs. <a href=”/fighter/Mahamed-Aly-184187″>Mahamed Aly</a>
(205.5)<br/>
Featherweight: <a href=”/fighter/Roman-Puga-183547″>Roman Puga</a>
(144.5) vs. <a href=”/fighter/Taner-Trembley-407274″>Taner
Trembley</a> (145)</p><p/><center>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”>
<p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>The fighters of <a href=”https://x.com/hashtag/DWCS?src=hash&;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#DWCS</a>
Week 2 have weighed in to make it official for Tuesday.</p><p>Weigh-In Results ➡︠<a href=”https://t.co/Aa4LVIrVS5″>https://t.co/Aa4LVIrVS5</a></p><p>Watch Season 10 On Paramount+ ➡︠<a href=”https://t.co/jl8XIjCn5L”>https://t.co/jl8XIjCn5L</a></p><p>Get DWCS Tickets ➡︠<a href=”https://t.co/EotLYHayYR”>https://t.co/EotLYHayYR</a> <a href=”https://t.co/5gCWBEFr3A”>pic.twitter.com/5gCWBEFr3A</a></p>
— UFC News (@UFCNews) <a href=”https://x.com/UFCNews/status/2089391331743572084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>
August 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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 <b>UFC</b>
 Road to UFC Season 5: Shanghai Semifinals </div>
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 <a href=”/events/UFC-Fight-Night-286-Nurmagomedov-vs-Song-113007″>
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 <div>Aug</div><div>29</div><div>2026</div>
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 <b>UFC Fight Night 286</b>
 Nurmagomedov vs. Song </div>
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 <a href=”/events/UFC-Fight-Night-287-Hooker-vs-Parnasse-113189″>
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 <div>Sep</div><div>05</div><div>2026</div>
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 <b>UFC Fight Night 287</b>
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 <b>UFC Fight Night 288</b>
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 <table cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″><tr><td width=”37″ height=”37″><img data-src=”{image}” width=”32″/></td><td>{firstname} { “nickname” }{lastname}</td></tr></table>
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 <div id=”autocomplete_template_Fighter” data-format=”{firstname} { ";nickname"; }{lastname}” data-slaveinput=”#sample” data-slaveformat=”{id}” style=”display:none”>
 <table cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″><tr><td width=”37″ height=”37″><img data-src=”{image}” width=”32″/></td><td>{firstname} { “nickname” }{lastname}</td></tr></table>
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 <div id=”autocomplete_template_Event” data-format=”{name} – {title}” data-slaveinput=”#sample” data-slaveformat=”{id}” style=”display:none”>
 <table cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″><tr><td width=”37″ height=”37″><img data-src=”{image}” width=”32″/></td><td>{name} – {title}</td></tr></table>
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 <a class=”fow” href=”/fighter/Taila-Santos-143185″><img src=”https://www2-cdn.sherdog.com/_images/pictures/20240803021442_PFL_20240802_C2N00713_1.JPG” style=”object-position: center 15%”/><div>Taila Santos</div></a>
 <style><![CDATA[a.fow img { width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16/5; object-fit: cover; margin-top: -5px; } a.fow div { text-align: center; margin-bottom: 10px; color: white; margin-top: 3px; font-size: 20px; font-weight :bold; text-transform: uppercase; }]]></style>
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 <a href=”/fighter/Ian-Garry-268923″><img src=”/image_crop/72/72/_images/fighter/1708042846Ian_Garry_ff.jpg”/><div>Ian Garry</div></a><a href=”/fighter/Cristiane-Justino-14477″><img src=”/image_crop/72/72/_images/fighter/1648258507307_20220325093502_Cris_Cyborg_ff.JPG”/><div>Cristiane Justino</div></a><a href=”/fighter/Islam-Makhachev-76836″><img src=”/image_crop/72/72/_images/fighter/1783440299898_20220401034240_Islam_Makhachev_ff.JPG”/><div>Islam Makhachev</div></a><a href=”/fighter/Usman-Nurmagomedov-296291″><img src=”/image_crop/72/72/_images/fighter/1770478355865_17703859969707f17ed2f1677833f784f797be9c03-1-1.png”/><div>Usman Nurmagomedov</div></a> </div>

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 <div id=’autocomplete_template_Fighter’ data-format=’{firstname} { “nickname” }{lastname}’ data-slaveinput=’#sample’ data-slaveformat=’{id}’ style=’display:none’>
 <table cellpadding=’0′ cellspacing=’0′><tr><td width=’37’ height=’37’><img data-src=”{image}” width=’32’/></td><td>{firstname} { “nickname” }{lastname}</td></tr></table>
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 <div id=’autocomplete_template_Event’ data-format=’{name} – {title}’ data-slaveinput=’#sample’ data-slaveformat=’{id}’ style=’display:none’>
 <table cellpadding=’0′ cellspacing=’0′><tr><td width=’37’ height=’37’><img data-src=”{image}” width=’32’/></td><td>{name} – {title}</td></tr></table>
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 <a href=”/fighter/Ian-Garry-268923″><h4>Ian Garry</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Cristiane-Justino-14477″><h4>Cristiane Justino</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Islam-Makhachev-76836″><h4>Islam Makhachev</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Usman-Nurmagomedov-296291″><h4>Usman Nurmagomedov</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Luke-Trainer-222645″><h4>Luke Trainer</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Mackenzie-Dern-137171″><h4>Mackenzie Dern</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Javid-Basharat-222651″><h4>Javid Basharat</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Mansur-AbdulMalik-393926″><h4>Mansur Abdul-Malik</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Movsar-Ibragimov-389946″><h4>Movsar Ibragimov</h4></a> | <a href=”/fighter/Joel-Alvarez-190201″><h4>Joel Alvarez</h4></a> </div>
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MMA
Anthony Smith pleads not guilty to four felony charges in Nebraska
Published
7 hours agoon
August 18, 2026
Anthony
Smith has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges stemming
from a July domestic incident in Nebraska.Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith faces four felony
Smith has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges stemming
from a July domestic incident in Nebraska.
Court records confirmed
Smith’s plea, resulting in the cancellation of an arraignment
scheduled for Aug. 17. The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title
challenger is now due back in court for a status hearing Sept. 21
in Sarpy County.
Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith faces four felony
charges stemming from an alleged July domestic incident in Gretna,
Nebraska
Smith faces one Class 2 felony count involving an attempted Class 1
offense, a terroristic-threats charge and two counts of
first-degree false imprisonment, all classified as Class 3A
felonies. A Class 2 felony in Nebraska can carry a prison term of
one to 50 years, while Class 3A felonies carry up to three years of
imprisonment and 18 months of post-release supervision.
Prosecutors allege that Smith became involved in an altercation
with his wife at a Gretna, Nebraska, bar on July 26. They claim
Smith threatened to kill his wife, forced her into his vehicle and
later attempted to strike her with the vehicle after she exited it.
His wife was not physically injured, according to prosecutors’
account.
Smith has not publicly addressed the allegations. His wife, Mikhala
Renee Newman, previously offered a different characterization of
the incident, saying Smith was experiencing a mental health crisis
and that she had sought help to protect him from himself.
MMA
Glover Teixeira likes the idea of Alex Pereira facing Josh Hokit to earn another heavyweight title shot: 'Knock his ass out'
Published
8 hours agoon
August 18, 2026
Trending:
Daniel Cormier doubts Dricus du Plessis gets next middleweight title shot due to history with Sean Strickland
Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira plans to stay at heavyweight.
Pereira moved up to heavyweight at UFC White House as he took on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. However, Pereira suffered a knockout loss, as the size and power of Gane proved to be the difference.
After the loss, whether Pereira would stay at heavyweight was unclear, but his coach, Glover Teixeira, said that is the plan.
“He's going to stay at heavyweight; that's the plan,†Teixeira said to Ariel Helwani. … “He wants to fight all the time, but it's good to take time, he fought back-to-back for so long. He wants to fight. Alex always wants to fight.â€
Alex Pereira could face Josh Hokit next
Once Pereira is ready to return, Teixeira isn't sure who will be next for him. The goal is to get back to a heavyweight title shot, so Teixeira believes Josh Hokit could be a logical opponent.
“The plan with them, because Alex is a huge name and an exciting fighter to watch, and he sells. Some fight they will put him right back into the title. For him, pretty much any fight. Maybe we get this fight (Josh Hokit). He's talking a lot of shit. Go over there and knock his ass out and get back to the top, and then get the rematch,†Teixeira said.
Whether or not the UFC has any interest in that fight is unclear. But, on paper, it does make sense, as the winner would likely get a title shot, which is what this fight would do. And, Hokit has been talking trash about Pereira, so the storyline is there to be a co-main event of a numbered card.
Pereira is 13-4 as a pro and is coming off a TKO loss to Gane. He's 10-3 in the UFC and the former middleweight & light heavyweight champion.
Would you like to see Alex Pereira face Josh Hokit next?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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