Magomed Ankalaev won’t take blame for ‘boring’ UFC Abu Dhabi win over Bogdan Guskov: “Wasn’t up to me”

Magomed Ankalaev has heard the criticism of his UFC Abu Dhabi fight against Bodgan Guskov, but he refuses to take blame for it.

Ankalaev finished Guskov in the fifth round of their light heavyweight headliner this past Saturday. Guskov was widely panned for not making the most of his short-notice opportunity, filling in for Khalil Rountree. On the other side, Ankalaev has also gotten flak for playing it safe and not trying to finish Guskov far sooner.

“Big Ank” spoke to Red Corner MMA, and he said that he simply had a job to do and it was a success.

“Whether the fight was boring or not wasn’t up to me,” Ankalaev said. “I was pressing forward. I wanted to fight, but my opponent stayed on the back foot and kept moving away. So I decided to wrestle and finish him on the ground.”

Ankalaev then turned his attention to Paulo Costa, who recently made his return to the 205-pound division. “Borrachinha” has been has been calling for a big fight at light heavyweight, but Ankalaev isn’t convinced that he wants the smoke.

“Costa didn’t perform well in his division, then moved up, won one fight, and got loud. If he’s ready to come forward, we’ll be waiting for him. But if he’s going to run and shy away, I see no point in fighting him.”

After losing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in a rematch against Alex Pereira, Ankalaev is on the road back to the title. While Daniel Cormier believes so many changes have happened in the weight class that Ankalaev could get another title fight, others feel he should have at least one more fight.

At the moment, reigning 205-pound champion Carlos Ulberg is recovering from a torn ACL. His goal is to return in early 2027, but time will tell if the UFC brass books an interim title bout before 2026 comes to a close.

Do you put some of the blame for the lackluster UFC Abu Dhabi main event on Magomed Ankalaev, or is it mostly on Bogdan Guskov? Share your thoughts in the comments below.