Ankalaev Grinds Past Guskov, But Is a Ulberg Title Shot Really Next?

Magomed Ankalaev walked out of the Etihad Arena on July 24 with a fifth-round stoppage of Bogdan Guskov, and a divided crowd. The former light heavyweight champ got the finish, but it took him the better part of five rounds to put away the #9-ranked Guskov, who came in at 18-4-1 with 15 of those wins by knockout. It wasn't the emphatic statement a man angling for a title shot wants on his highlight reel.

That matters because the belt is currently sitting idle. Carlos Ulberg, who blew through Jiří Procházka with a first-round knockout to run his record to 15-1, is sidelined with an injury and isn't expected back until the first half of 2027. So the question isn't whether Ankalaev has the résumé — he clearly does — it's whether a lukewarm win over a fringe top-10 fighter is enough to hold a title shot open for the better part of a year.

The Case For and Against Waiting

The argument for Ankalaev is simple: name recognition and body of work. Few 205ers can match his credentials, and Ulberg's a fresh champion still building his marquee résumé. But the argument against is just as clean — if he's not fighting until 2027 anyway, why not have Ankalaev stay active and settle any doubts with one more win? A messy performance rarely earns you a free pass to the front of the line.

The co-main did more for its winner than the headliner did for his. Ramazan Temirov ran through Steve Erceg in the first round, the kind of one-sided finish that gets a prospect talked about. In a flyweight picture that's always hungry for new blood, that's a name to file away.

The rest of the Dagestani-heavy main card kept rolling too, with wins for Magomed Zaynukov, Rizvan Kuniev and welterweight Abubakar Vagaev, who sits at 25-4 with his most recent decision over Saygid Izagakhmaev. It's a talent pipeline the division can't ignore.

Elsewhere, the sport's biggest 'when will he fight again' story stayed frozen: both Dana White and Conor McGregor now expect the Irishman — 22-7, last seen losing to Max Holloway — to stay on the shelf until 2027. So Ankalaev isn't the only marquee name whose timeline just got pushed back a calendar year.