Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Magomed Ankalaev secured a stoppage victory over Uzbekistan's Bogdan Guskov in the main event of the UFC tournament in Abu Dhabi, according to infohub.kz.
The bout headlined the event in the UAE capital. Ankalaev entered the fight ranked No. 1 in the light heavyweight division (up to 93 kg), while Guskov held the No. 9 spot. The Uzbek fighter replaced American Khalil Rountree Jr., who withdrew due to injury on short notice.
The five-round fight ended early. Ankalaev won every round. In the final round, he took a dominant position on the ground and landed a series of unanswered strikes. The referee stopped the bout due to Guskov's passive defense, ruling a technical knockout.
For the 34-year-old Russian, the victory served as redemption after a rematch loss to Brazil's Alex Pereira, which cost him the light heavyweight title. Ankalaev now has 21 wins, two losses, one draw, and one no contest.
Guskov suffered his second UFC loss. The 33-year-old Uzbek has 18 wins, four losses, and one draw.