Magomed Ankalaev is ready for brighter days ahead after one of the darkest times of his career.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion makes his first walk to the octagon in 2026 when he faces short-notice replacement opponent Bogdan Guskov in the headliner of Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi event. It will serve as Ankalaev’s first fight since losing the title to Alex Pereira via an 80-second knockout at UFC 320 this past August in their rematch.
Ahead of his return, Ankalaev reflects on the loss to “Poatan.”
“It must have been the worst day of my life, I could say,” Ankalaev told MMA Fighting via a Russian translator. “I lost the fight, I lost the belt, and it was really hard for me to get back here. But the time has been taken, the work’s been down, and I’m back a different person.
“I think what people will see this time around is a whole different fighter.”
The loss for Ankalaev was just the second of his career, and snapped an incredible 14-fight unbeaten streak, which included a championship win over Pereira at UFC 313 in March 2025.
Ankalev allowed himself to feel sorry about the Pereira result for a few weeks, but then knew he needed to get back on the horse in hopes of getting that winning feel back.
“It didn’t take too long,” Ankalaev said. “It must have been about a month that I was down on myself, kind of, and I couldn’t get myself to go back to the gym and stuff like that. But then I got myself together and I got back into the gym, and I think I’m in the best shape that I’ve been, ever. The best shape of my life. …
“It definitely was the right time for me to get that loss. As you remember, my first loss in the UFC was also a very terrible, kind of underprepared sort of loss [against Paul Craig] and I came back and I was dominant for such a long time. So I think we’re going to see this again. I needed that loss to bring me back down and then to start moving my way back up.”
Guskov steps in for the injured Khalil Rountree Jr. after being originally scheduled to face Jan Blachowicz in a rematch at UFC Belgrade a week later. Guskov fought the former champ to a majority draw at UFC 323 this past December, and enters his first UFC headliner on a five-fight unbeaten streak.
Ankalaev says there were multiple names thrown in his direction—including a heavyweight—but none of them came to fruition, so he’s grateful Guskov took the opportunity to step up and face him.
“About Bogdan, what can I say? He’s a great dude,” Ankalaev said. “He’s a great dude. I mean, he could have said no as well, and I would have been left without a fight.
“So he saved the fight for me, so I’m very thankful, and I think that he’s a great dude for doing it.”
