Magomed Ankalaev stops Bogdan Guskov in UFC Abu Dhabi main event

Magomed Ankalaev stopped Bogdan Guskov in the fifth round at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday, but the performance raised fresh questions about the former heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion's fight IQ and willingness to press his advantages.

Guskov, promoted to headliner duty when Khalil Rountree withdrew last month, refused to engage for much of the bout and circled the cage looking for a single overhand right. Ankalaev read the limited offense early but showed no interest in increasing his pace until the fourth round, when he finally took Guskov down and dominated from half guard. The Dagestani landed sporadic punches and elbows before moving to back mount and battering Guskov with strikes to close the round, per Sherdog.

Why Ankalaev's cautious approach continues to frustrate

As MMA Mania first reported, Ankalaev had the tools to finish Guskov from the opening bell. The Russian's ground game and gas tank are known weaknesses, yet Ankalaev waited until the championship rounds to shoot a real takedown despite Guskov planting his back to the fence for most of the fight. He picked up where he left off in the fifth, grounding Guskov with a single-leg and chaining it to a double before resuming the steady diet of elbows and punches. Referee Marc Goddard warned Guskov multiple times to move and defend himself before waving off the bout at 2:41 of Round 5.

The stoppage impressed nobody. Despite hardly absorbing a shot, Ankalaev struggled to build on his success or increase the intensity. Elite fighters typically open up and do real damage once they see all the opponent's offense coming. Ankalaev instead let the fight putter along, content to kick from range and coast to round wins. The Abu Dhabi crowd voiced its displeasure at the slow pace throughout, according to Sherdog.

In the co-main event, Ramazonbek Temirov flattened former title challenger Steve Erceg with first-round punches. Temirov hurt Erceg with a spinning back kick early, survived a brief choke attempt, then crushed the Australian with an overhand right. A follow-up overhand dropped Erceg face-first, prompting referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight at 4:21 of Round 1. Ankalaev is expected to regroup and await his next assignment as he looks to reclaim the belt he lost to Alex Pereira last year.

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — UFC Abu Dhabi, The Morning After: Underwhelming Magomed Ankalaev continues to leave food on the table | MMA Mania
• sherdog.com — Magomed Ankalaev pummels Bogdan Guskov for TKO stoppage at UFC Abu Dhabi
• sherdog.com — UFC Abu Dhabi ‘Ankalaev vs. Guskov’ play-by-play, results & round scoring