Magomed Ankalaev will take on Bogdan Guskov at UFC Fight Night after Khalil Rountree Jr. withdrew from the main event with an injury.

The two fighters will step inside the Octagon in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 25, with the card getting underway at 23:00 AEST.

Quick Picks

Our pick: Ankalaev to win

Value bet: Ankalaev to win by decision

Long shot: Ankalaev by KO/TKO

Tale of the Tape

Ankalaev is a patient, defensively sound orthodox kickboxer-wrestler, built around clean boxing, low kicks, and cage control rather than wild exchanges, typically fighting at a measured pace.

In contrast, Guskov is more aggressive, with a very high finish rate and clear intent to end fights early. His game is front‑foot pressure, heavy hands, and willingness to trade, with less emphasis on layered defense or long-distance kicking.

The withdrawal of Rountree Jr. is unlikely to have impacted Ankalaev’s original preparations, as both have dangerous power that he’d be aiming to avoid.

In fact, Guskov is perhaps at a disadvantage as the late replacement, rather than Ankalaev.

How do the two compare? Ankalaev’s figures are first…

• Age - 34 vs 33
• Height - 6'3" (191cm) vs 6'3" (190cm)
• Stance - Orthodox vs Orthodox
• Record - 21-2-1 vs 18-3-1
• KO Record - 11 vs 15

Betting Preview

How have they performed in their last five fights?

Ankalaev's last five fights:

• Alex Pereira - Loss (TKO, 1) - Oct 2025
• Alex Pereira - Win (UD, 5) - Mar 2025
• Aleksandar Rakić - Win (UD, 3) - Oct 2024
• Johnny Walker - Win (TKO, 2) - Jan 2024
• Johnny Walker - NC - Oct 2023

Guskov’s last five fights:

• Jan Błachowicz - Draw (MD, 3) - Dec 2025
• Nikita Krylov - Win (TKO, 1) - Jul 2025
• Billy Elekana - Win (Sub, 2) - Jan 2025
• Ryan Spann - Win (TKO, 2) - Apr 2024
• Zac Pauga - Win (TKO, 1) - Feb 2024

Betting Markets to Watch

Despite the change of opponent, Ankalaev is considered the moderate favourite in the moneyline odds. He has a clear wrestling and grappling edge, both technically and in terms of experience sustaining those skills over long fights, which should come into his favour inside the Octagon.

With his skill set, it’s likely that a decision victory will be the outcome. He’ll aim to keep the fight long, deny clean pocket exchanges early, and punish charging entries with straight punches and level changes. Still, this is where there’s value in a KO/TKO victory .

Guskov has notable defensive weaknesses as he can be overly aggressive with his strategy. If he is caught out or forced to chase, Ankalaev could look to pick him off. He could also look to exploit Guskov if he isn’t able to land a big shot early by piling on him the longer the fight goes on.

Our Prediction

Check the latest Ankalaev vs Guskov UFC betting odds.

Our prediction is that Ankalaev is the likely winner, with the decision market offering value.

A long shot is Ankalaev by KO/TKO, as he can remain conservative in this fight and not push it too much.