2026 UFC Fight Night Set to Host Magomed Ankalaev to Destroy a ‘Hitman’
The sands of time are ever-changing in the deserts near the Etihad Arena. The exact location of this arena is in Yas West, United Arab Emirates, where people gather for worldwide events. Although the event people gather for on July 25th will be none other than UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov. The fighters that headline this event, in the UFC combative sport, are 34-year-old Magomed Ankalaev and 33-year-old Bogdan Guskov. Both fighters are in the top ten of the men’s Light Heavyweight Division, which carries some assurance this fight will be one fans can watch almost to the end.
If fans don’t watch all rounds pass by them, it may be due to Ankalaev’s heavy strikes that at one time led him to a title win in March of 2025. However, he’s coming off of a recent title loss that occurred during the heavily anticipated rematch of UFC 320. So, it will be no surprise he’s hoping to put the past behind him and regain a victorious climb to the top once again! He could do this by utilizing his skill of absorbing an average of only 2.59 strikes per minute. This is admirable, too, considering his fight career of 21-2-1. It’s no wonder he held the title before in this division, but in this fight his defense of 56% will be noteworthy as well, which will give his opponent some pause. If Guskov hopes to break through those defenses, he will definitely need to be just as cautious and tactical in all of his strikes.
The 33-year-old fighter could do it with the number of strikes he lands on average, which averages as much as 4.57 strikes per minute. This outweighs the number of strikes his opponent lands per minute and should give him an edge as a result. This simple fact could be why the sport has given him the nickname of ‘Hitman’, but he’ll need to gauge any hits he makes, as doing so could leave him vulnerable to nasty counters or takedowns. Also, the fight could go to the ground with him securing a surprise submission. However, it will be difficult considering his opponent’s takedown defense is 87% on average.
The crowd projections weigh these statistics together, and it’s not surprising they point to the 34-year-old fighter as being the victor of this fight. The victory is even further speculated to occur by KO/TKO by a large majority. ‘Hitman’ will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to rebalance the stats in his favor. He could do this by attempting a takedown to upset the rhythm that Ankalaev will undoubtedly establish during the fight. If he does so, he could then start to capitalize on his speed by landing more strikes.
The problem with that strategy is it will be seen coming by his opponent, who is more experienced than him. This makes the statistic even more believable, as caution and gauging out the appropriate time to strike are in the 34-year-old prior title holder’s hands. There’s a reason why Ankalaev rose to the top, and it will be shown again in this fight. The victory will be hard fought though, as Guskov will make it last and every striking inch a mile, if he’s smart. So, join these fighters and witness a returning title holder try to climb the ranks yet again by streaming this fight live on Paramount+ at 12:00 p.m. EDT!
