LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 04: Magomed Ankalaev of Russia enters the Octagon within the UFC mild heavyweight championship combat throughout the UFC 320 occasion at T-Cell Area on October 04, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
The UFC’s occasion this weekend misplaced half of its important occasion when an harm pressured Khalil Rountree Jr. to bow out. As it’s, former mild heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev has a brand new opponent in Bogdan Guskov and he’ll be trying to transfer again towards a shot to regain his title. Let’s talk UFC Abu Dhabi.
Key Information at a Look
- Occasion: UFC Combat Evening: Ankalaev vs. Guskov (UFC Combat Evening 282)
- Date: Saturday, July 25, 2026
- Location: Etihad Area, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Begin occasions: Prelims 9 a.m. ET / Major card 12 p.m. ET
- Methods to watch (U.S.): Paramount+
- Major occasion: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov, mild heavyweight
- Highest Hype Rating on the cardboard: Ankalaev vs. Guskov (80)
Why Does Ankalaev vs. Guskov Headline UFC Abu Dhabi?
Ankalaev shouldn’t be combating for a belt in Abu Dhabi, however a clear win drops him again right into a wide-open mild heavyweight race the place even former champions are on the move. He misplaced the title to Alex Pereira final October, a first-round stoppage that ended a 14-fight unbeaten run.
Guskov took the combat on brief discover, carries a five-fight unbeaten streak with a 100% end fee, and becomes the first fighter from Uzbekistan to headline a UFC card. His countryman Ramazan Temirov sits within the co-main, turning Saturday right into a landmark night time for the double-landlocked nation.
What Makes the Remainder of the Abu Dhabi Card Particular?
I’m excited for the co-main occasion. Temirov is likely one of the scariest flyweights on this planet. He takes on Steve Erceg in a battle that might win Combat of the Evening. There is a ranked heavyweight combat on faucet too with No. 8 Rizvan Kuniev taking over American Tyrell Fortune, who’s ranked No. 9.
We’ll additionally see submission specialist Valter Walker taking over Thomas Petersen. If Valter collects one other leg lock submission or any form of win, he must be near a title shot.
Walker versus Petersen lands on the prelims, however the remainder of that group anchors a UFC Abu Dhabi main card constructed on contenders relatively than large names.
UFC Abu Dhabi Full Card and Hype Scores
Each bout on the cardboard, graded on the Hype Meter and scored out of 100. Bout order is topic to late adjustments.
Major card (12 p.m. ET)
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov (LHW) — Hype Rating 80
- Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov (FLW) — Hype Rating 62
- Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune (HW) — Hype Rating 41
- Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman (WW) — Hype Rating 27
- Magomed Zaynukov vs. Damian Rzepecki (LW) — Hype Rating 22
- Abubakar Vagaev vs. Saygid Izagakhmaev (WW) — Hype Rating 20
Prelims (9 a.m. ET)
- Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen (HW) — Hype Rating 60
- Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson (WW) — Hype Rating 50
- Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola (LW) — Hype Rating 30
- Dustin Jacoby vs. Muhammad Mentioned (LHW) — Hype Rating 26
- Nurullo Aliev vs. Mike Davis (LW) — Hype Rating 24
- Abdul Hussein vs. Cody Gibson (BW) — Hype Rating 23
- Brendson Ribeiro vs. Magomed Tuchalov (LHW) — Hype Rating 21
How Does the Whole UFC Abu Dhabi Card Charge?
Run by means of the Hype Meter, UFC Abu Dhabi lands at an total Hype Rating of 60 out of 100, which places it in Stable territory. The quantity is weighted towards the primary occasion at 40 p.c, the co-main at 20 p.c, the remainder of the primary card at 25 p.c and the most effective prelim at 15 p.c.
The cardboard leans virtually solely on its high three fights. Ankalaev-Guskov (80), the Erceg-Temirov co-main (62) and Walker’s prelim (60) which ought to most likely be on the primary card, however that carries the present.
A prospect-heavy center retains it from climbing into Sturdy Card vary. In case you are setting the early alarm for the U.S. begin time, these three are the explanation.
What Is the Hype Meter?
The Hype Meter is a components I created to gauge the general fan attraction for every UFC occasion. It takes fighter notoriety, accomplishment, stakes and growing storylines into consideration.
Every combat is scored from one to 10 on these 4 inputs, weighted most closely towards notoriety and stakes, then transformed right into a rating out of 100. The occasion rating blends the primary card and the highest prelim into the only quantity you see above.
The Hype Meter scale:
- 85 and up — Should-Watch
- 70 to 84 — Sturdy Card
- 55 to 69 — Stable
- 40 to 54 — One Motive to Watch
- Under 40 — Deep Lower
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