UFC Abu Dhabi Magomed Ankalaev vs Bogdan Guskov Main Card Preview, Odds, Watch Info & FAQ

The UFC is taking the action to the middle east for a Matinee of a fight card at UFC Abu Dhabi. They have brought out all the stops for the hometown fans as many of the regions top prospects line the 13 fight card.

No bigger home favorite then Magomed Ankalaev, who will take on Bogdan Guskov in the Main Event. The bout was made on just a few weeks notice as Khalil Rountree was forced to pull out due to injury.

The UFC did their best to keep Ankalaev on the card serving him upcoming Russian prospect Bogdan Guskov in a bounce back fight. The Co – Main event will also feature one of the regions hottest prospects, as Ramazan Temirov will take on Steve Erceg.

Temirov is looking to bounce back from a PED suspension while Erceg is looking to assert himself in the title picture with a win. These are just the cherry on top of an exciting 13 fight card, as the other 11 bouts are high level match ups including a stacked main card.

The fight card is a matinee and scheduled to start early for US fans with a 9 A.M start time. So let us not waste any more time and dive right into a breakdown of UFC Abu Dhabi , live from the Ethiad Arena in the U.A.E!

All odds presented by our Partner at LuckyRebel as of 7/24/2026 12:22 P.M

Check out the odds for the entire card at the best online sportsbooks available in the U.S.

Main Event: Magomed Ankalaev vs Bogdan Guskov Preview – Light Heavyweight

The Main event of the evening features the return of Magomed Ankalaev. The former champion will be taking on top prospect Bogdan Guskov in a 5 round bout.

Guskov is on the heels of a questionable performance against Jan Blachowicz. The first round went as many expected it to with Guskov hurting Blachowicz several times on the feet.

As the fight continued on Guskov was unable to finish the fight in the 1st or 2nd round and began to fade. Blachowicz worked his way back into the fight using his grappling to force a draw.

The draw put a full stop on all the momentum he was building. A debut loss had many fans questioning Guskovs ability, but he turned it around and put together an impressive 4 fight winning streak.

The streak was evermore impressive due to him finishing all 4 fights. Unfortunately the draw exposed his biggest liabilities, his cardio & defensive wrestling.

If things do not go his way on the feet, he does not have much for his opponents on the ground. At just 33 years of age I have confidence in Guskov's ability to improve his cardio, I am just not sure if it will show in this match up.

Magomed Ankalaev is a formidable foe for any of the top prospects in the Light heavyweight division. Undoubtable the #1 contender, he is taking a huge risk by accepting this fight on such short notice.

Will Ankalaev Bounce Back From Losing The Belt?

The originally scheduled opponent, Khalil Roundtree Jr was forced to pull out due to injury just a few weeks ago. The UFC has not done him a disservice by any means, considering Guskov is a much easier match up for him.

Ankalaev will need every advantage he can get as he looks to bounce back from losing his belt in 2025. The russian was successful in defeating Alex Pereira in his first attempt at claiming gold, nearly pitching a shut out as well.

In the rematch he looked like a shell of himself, allowing Pereira to march forward and land big power shots. Ultimately Ankalaev was finished in the first round and many questions arose about his performance.

After the fight reports came out that Ankalaev was suffering from a severe rib injury in the rematch. In my oppinion, I dont believe a healthy Ankalaev would have made much of a difference that night as Pereira was a man on a mission.

The loss was rather devastating as it was the first time Ankalaev was knocked out in his career. Many fighters do not come back the same after a loss like that but I have confidence Ankalaev is young enough bounce back in the correct fashion.

Magomed Ankalaev vs Bogdan Guskov Odds:

• Moneyline: Magomed Ankalaev (-600) vs Bogdan Guskov (+425)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (+125) / Under (-145)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Magomed Ankalaev By KO/TKO (-155)

Co – Main Event: Steve Erceg vs Ramazan Temirov Preview – Flyweight

The Co – Main event is an exciting match up of top Flyweight contenders. Steve Erceg will make his return against the upcoming prospect Ramazan Temirov.

The bout is sure to have some high stakes as the top of the Flyweight division is wide open. A big win here could secure the #1 contenders match up next.

It may come as a surprise to many the Temirov is even getting this opportunity. The Uzbekistan prospect has had a interesting start to his career by winning his first 2 UFC bouts.

The UFC has been quick to increase his level of competition rather quickly along the way. An impressive debut over CJ Vergara earned him a top 15 match up with Charles Johnson.

Temirov handled the rise in competition very well, dominating Charles Johnson over the course of 3 rounds. Shortly after the Johnson fight, Temirov popped for PEDs and was subsequently suspended.

Now in his return fight instead of punishing Temirov, the UFC has handed him a very winnable top 5 match up. The bout is particularly favorable due to Temirov's grappling prowess and wrestling ability.

The striking aspect of his game leaves a little to be desired and has much room to improve. Luckily he is only 29 years old, he has plenty of time to grow into his strengths before he enters his prime.

In recent history many fighters that are returning from a PED suspension look like a shell of themselves. Temirov can not be apart of that group as he showed up to the scales completely shredded and in peak physical form.

Will Temirov Bounce Back From Suspension?

I do not expect much of a drop off for Temirov & the PED suspension may have truly been a fluke rather then him indulging in PEDS. Weather Temirov is on a banned substance or not, he will need all of his skill set to defeat a top flyweight prospect like Steve Erceg.

Erceg is another fighter who's career was catapulted very early on. The Australian prospect made his debut in 2023 with a big upset victory of David Dvorak.

After the impressive debut, Erceg was fast tracked to the top of the division with back to back wins over Alessandro Costa and Matt Schnell. The wins were enough to impress the UFC Brass into giving him a title shot after just 3 fights in the division.

A very rare feat and it proved to be to much to soon for Erceg. He fought Flyweight legend Alexadre Pantoja for the Flyweight belt in 2024 where he came up short.

Pantoja dominated the fight early, but as the fight went on he began to fade. This opened the door for Erceg to fight his way back into the bout and made the decision a lot closer then it seemed.

Despite fighting valiantly in his title shot , Erceg went on a tough run following. Fighting legends like Pantoja, Kai Kara France and Brandon Moreno all in a row is not exactly a recipe for success for a young prospect.

After starting his career with the UFC 3-0 everything changed to the opposite after the title fight. Erceg found himself on a 3 fight losing streak early on experiencing the true highs and lows of the fight game.

Can Erceg Continue His Winning Streak?

The losing streak required a true step down in competition in order to get back on track and that is exactly what Erceg has accomplished. Back to back decision wins over Ode Osbourne and Tim Elliott have put Erceg back into title contention and top 5 ranked fights.

It appears he is still fighting down in the rankings as Temirov is only on the come up, but the skill level is 100% there despite the rankings. Ramazan Temirov may not have the ranking, the resume or the fan base like some of Erceg's previous opponent, but he 100% has the same skill.

There is no doubt in my mind that neither fighter will dominate this match up from bell to bell. This is truly one of the more evenly matched bouts fans have seen in years, which has lead to much anticipation of the bout.

Will Steve Erceg prove he belongs in the top of the division or will Saturday afternoon be a coming out party for Temirov?

Steve Erceg vs Ramazan Temirov Odds:

• Moneyline: Steve Erceg (-110) vs Ramazan Temirov (-110)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (-190) / Under (+165)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Steve Erceg By Points (+165)

Islam Dulatov vs Wellington Turman Odds – Welterweight

• Moneyline: Islam Dulatov (-1000) vs Wellington Turman (+675)
• Round Total: 1.5 Total Rounds – Over (+219) / Under (-265)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Islam Dulatov By KO/TKO/DQ (-185)

Damian Rzepecki vs Magomed Zaynukov Odds – Lightweight

• Moneyline: Damian Rzepecki (+250) vs Magomed Zaynukov (-290)
• Round Total: 1.5 Total Rounds – Over (-220) / Under (+186)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Magomed Zaynukov By Points (+135)

Rizvan Kuniev vs Tyrell Fortune Odds – Heavyweight

• Moneyline: Rizvan Kuniev (-335) vs Tyrell Fortune (+275)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (-145) / Under (+125)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Rizvan Kuniev By Points (+150)

Featured Preliminary Bout: Valter Walker vs Thomas Petersen Odds – Heavyweight

• Moneyline: Valter Walker (-185) vs Thomas Peterson (+160)
• Round Total: 1.5 Total Rounds – Over (-155) / Under (+135)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Valter Walker By Submission (+150)

UFC Abu Dhabi Schedule & FAQ

When is UFC Abu Dhabi?

• UFC Abu Dhabi will take place Saturday, July 25th, 2026.

Where is UFC Abu Dhabi?

• UFC Abu Dhabi will go down live at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

What time does UFC Abu Dhabi start?

• UFC Abu Dhabi Preliminary Card start time: 12 p.m. ET
• UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card start time: 3 p.m. ET

How to Watch UFC Abu Dhabi?

• UFC Abu Dhabi Preliminary Card Coverage: Paramount+
• UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card Coverage: Paramount+

How to Bet on UFC Abu Dhabi?

Most international and domestic sportsbooks will carry odds for a fight card of this caliber. But check out our best online sportsbooks here to see what Betting News recommends for a great UFC betting experience.

If one thing is for sure, Saturday's card is sure to bring the action. I hope this betting guide helps bring more context to your UFC entertainment experience.

If you want my full card of bets, tune into the Violence Report on our network on Twitch every Saturday. Or for more gambling content like this, make sure to follow me on X or Betting News on all platform