Ankalaev Grinds Out Guskov in Round 5 to Reclaim His Title Path

Magomed Ankalaev didn't need fireworks to remind everyone he's the No. 1 light heavyweight in the world. Coming off the first knockout loss of his career, the former champion methodically dismantled Bogdan Guskov over four rounds at Etihad Arena before closing the show in the fifth, moving his record to 22-2-1 and planting himself firmly back in the title conversation.

It was a controlled, measured comeback rather than a reckless one — and that's exactly what the situation called for. Guskov (18-4-1) came in ranked ninth and carrying real power in his 15 knockouts, but Ankalaev outstruck him at nearly every turn, layering defense over volume until the Uzbek fighter had nothing left in the final round. The finish there marked the second KO/TKO loss on Guskov's ledger and the twelfth of Ankalaev's 22 wins.

Temirov Kicks the Door In at 125

The flyweight division may have just found its next problem. Ramazan Temirov floored former title challenger Steve Erceg with a spinning back kick to the body, then hunted him down with overhand rights until the referee had seen enough in the opening round. It was the 29-year-old's 12th career knockout, and afterward he made his ambitions plain — he said he's ready to run the division.

Whether that earns him a title shot next is another question, but Temirov's pressure and finishing instinct mean his next appearance almost certainly lands in a fight with real stakes at 125 pounds. Erceg, who has already shared the cage with the division's best, simply had no answer for the pace.

Walker Keeps Finding New Ways to Finish

Valter Walker is quietly building one of the strangest and scariest resumes in the UFC. The Moscow-based Brazilian arrived on a four-fight heel-hook streak, and it looked like number five was coming against Thomas Petersen — until Petersen wriggled free. So Walker simply switched to a calf slicer and got the tap anyway, extending his run to five straight first-round submissions.

The scary part isn't just that he finishes people. It's that opponents know the ground game is coming and still can't stop it. Elsewhere on the card, Nurmagomedov-team product Magomed Zaynukov made a statement Octagon debut, going the full 15 minutes with unbeaten Pole Damian Rzepecki to take a decision and push his own record to 9-0. Rzepecki fell to 10-1 with the loss, but the lightweight prospect pool just got a little deeper.