Bogdan Guskov issues statement after lackluster loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi
Bogdan Guskov and Magomed Ankalaev faced a lot of flak after their UFC Abu Dhabi fight. "Hitman" has now issued a statement on his defeat to Ankalaev.
Bogdan Guskov has opened up about his polarizing fight against Magomed Ankalaev that headlined the UFC Abu Dhabi event on July 25.
Guskov suffered a one-sided defeat in the fight that many deemed to be a lackluster affair. The Uzbekistan-born combatant of Russian descent -- who's fondly referred to by fight fans as "Czarevitch" and "Hitman" -- has now apologized to all his supporters.
Bogdan Guskov's statement after his lackluster defeat against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi
Ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev was scheduled to take on one-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25.
On the other hand, rising 205-pound star Bogdan Guskov was set to clash in a rematch against former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade on August 1.
Nevertheless, an undisclosed injury to Rountree Jr. threw a wrench in both aforementioned plans. The UFC attempted to get Blachowicz to face old rival Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi, but that didn't come to be, and the Polish fighter is set to face Navajo Stirling at UFC Belgrade.
Also, former middleweight star and current light heavyweight title hopeful Paulo Costa turned down the short-notice opportunity against Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi. Ultimately, it was Guskov who agreed to fill the void left by Rountree Jr.'s withdrawal and face Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Certain sections of the MMA community pointed out that Guskov was taking a risk by preponing his weight cut to light heavyweight by a week, against a former divisional kingpin like Ankalaev nonetheless.
Regardless, he made weight and fought the Dagestani combatant, nearly going the distance before Ankalaev stopped him via TKO in the fifth and final round. Many fans later lambasted Guskov and Ankalaev for their supposed lack of activity and meaningful offense in their encounter.
Ankalaev, for his part, seemed unfazed by the criticism, alluding that his opponent disengaged consistently and made the fight underwhelming. Moreover, Guskov has also revealed his views on the matchup and his loss.
Capping off his statement with emojis of the Uzbekistan flag, fire, and a lion, Guskov wrote:
"I'm sorry to everyone who believed in me. That night wasn't my night, but I'm grateful for everyone who stood behind me and supported me through this journey. Thank you for all the kind words and messages. I'll learn from this, come back stronger. I'm not done yet."
I’m sorry to everyone who believed in me. That night wasn’t my night, but I’m grateful for everyone who stood behind me and supported me through this journey. Thank you for all the kind words and messages. I’ll learn from this, come back stronger. I’m not done yet. 🇺🇿🔥🦁
— Bogdan “Hitman” Guskov (@BogdanGuskov) July 27, 2026
Bogdan Guskov suffered his first MMA defeat since his UFC debut
Bogdan Guskov's UFC promotional debut transpired back in 2023. "Hitman" fought one-time UFC light heavyweight championship challenger Volkan Oezdemir and was stopped by way of submission. The loss didn't deter him, however, and he bounced back by notching four consecutive wins.
The Gor Azizyan-trained fighter's triumphant run included knockout victories against Zac Pauga and Ryan Spann, a submission over Billy Elekana, and a knockout of Nikita Krylov. His next octagon outing saw him battle Jan Blachowicz to a majority draw last December.
The 33-year-old hadn't been beaten since his maiden octagon appearance, but that has changed courtesy of his TKO loss against Magomed Ankalaev.
Presently, Guskov seems keen on recalibrating and returning to the win column. Meanwhile, Ankalaev has emphasized his desire to stay active and recapture UFC light heavyweight gold when reigning champion Carlos Ulberg returns from his injury hiatus.
