Former UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev shared his reaction after getting a new opponent for the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi.
On Monday, the UFC announced a significant change to next weekend’s UFC Abu Dhabi card, as Khalil Rountree Jr. was forced to withdraw from his main event bout against Ankalaev. Stepping in on short notice is Bogdan Guskov, who was pulled from his upcoming UFC Belgrade rematch against Jan Blachowicz to get his first UFC main event fight against Ankalaev.
Magomed Anakalaev Shares Reaction to New Opponent for UFC Abu Dhabi
Taking to his social media after the UFC officially announced the upcoming main event switcheroo, Ankalaev shared the following statement about taking on Guskov instead of Rountree.
“I was supposed to fight Khalil Rountree at UFC Abu Dhabi, but unfortunately he’s injured. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back soon. Now I’m fighting Bogdan. Like I’ve said before, I’ll fight anybody, anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t matter. I’m always ready,” Ankalaev wrote on X.
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov Betting Odds
Since the fight just got booked, we do not currently have betting odds for Ankalaev vs. Guskov. However, fans can expect Ankalaev to be the betting favorite for this fight. After all, he was a -310 favorite to beat Rountree before he withdrew, and Guskov is ranked lower in the weight class, so it makes sense that Ankalaev would once again be a sizeable favorite to win at UFC Abu Dhabi.
That being said, Guskov is a very dangerous fighter, and he certainly has a puncher’s chance in this fight, given he has knockout power, and keeping in mind that Ankalaev was knocked out by Alex Pereira the last time we saw him step into the Octagon.
Either way, while it’s certainly very disappointing that Rountree fell out of the UFC Abu Dhabi main event, this replacement fight is about as good a fight as the matchmakers could have booked on short notice. With this fight being set for five rounds, look for a finish given both fighters carry serious knockout power.
Magomed Anakalaev Reacts to New Opponent for UFC Abu Dhabi