7/23/26
The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi on Saturday with a card full of prospects, veterans, and a main event that could dictate who may be fighting for the light heavyweight belt next and could also change one fighter’s career for the better. Here is a preview of the main card and each fighter as the date slowly approaches.
Abubakar Vagaev vs Saygid Izagakhmaev: Welterweight
This card kicks off with two fighters who already have impressive professional records in MMA, with Abubakar Vagaev being 24-4 in his career and Saygid Izagakhmaev being 22-3. This will be the UFC debut for Vagaev, who is on a three-fight win streak coming into this fight. He was a former champion in the ACA (Absolute Championship Akhmat) before signing with the UFC. Saygid, on the other hand, is 0-1 in the UFC and looking to get back in the win column. Before that, he was on a five-fight win streak on ONE FC and only lost his last fight by split decision.
This will be a good fight between two athletes with limited experience in the UFC but who are well-rounded and have previous success to back them up. Vagaev isn’t much of a knockout or submission artist and wins mostly by decision, while Saygid wins 55% of his fights by submission. It will be on Vagaev to avoid the takedowns and not put himself in a position for Saygid to choke him out. If he can keep the range and point fight, there is a much easier path to victory. Nonetheless, it will be a good fight between the two.
Rizvan Kuniev vs Tyrell Fortune: Heavyweight
The first ranked fight on the card comes by way of the heavyweights. Rizvan Kuniev is the #8-ranked heavyweight and is taking on the #9 ranked in Tyrell Fortune. Kuniev comes into this fight 14-3-1 and is coming off a unanimous decision win against elite heavyweight grappler Jailton Almeida. He is 1-1 in the UFC, with his only loss being to Curtis Blaydes, who has been a contender for the belt for a long time. Tyrell Fortune is 18-3 in his career and 1-0 in the UFC, which took place at UFC Seattle in March, where he beat veteran Marcin Tybura.
Again, this is a fight where both men haven’t had too much experience in the UFC octagon, but both have made good impressions so far and are looking to climb the heavyweight rankings in the lure of a title opportunity. Fortune is a knockout artist with 11 of his wins coming by KO, while Kuniev seems to be the more well-rounded fighter who can get it done on the feet and in the grappling. Kuniev has also never lost by knockout, so his chin may give him an advantage as well. This will be an entertaining scrap between the two, and the winner could be looking at a top-five opponent in their next fight.
Magomed Zaynukov vs Damian Rzepecki: Lightweight
One of these fighters will suffer the first loss of their career as they both come into the bout undefeated. Magomed Zaynukov is 8-0 and 1-0 in Dana White’s Contender Series. He is also a close training partner with the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world and welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. Damian Rzepecki is 10-0 in his career and will be fighting in the UFC for the first time.
Rzepecki will have his work cut out for him, and everyone who has come out of the Makhachev camp has proven to be elite, and Zaykunov is no exception. Zaykunov has five of his wins by knockout but is still more of a grappler at heart. Rzepecki has more of a spread-out arsenal with 5 wins by submission and four knockout wins. The obvious game plan for Rzepecki is avoiding the takedown, but even if he is taken down, he has the grappling skills to get Zaykunov into a position to submit him. Also, both fighters have power in their hands, and it could very well turn into a striking match if the grappling stalls. In the end, though, one of these fighters will lose their undefeated record.
Islam Dulatov vs Wellington Turman: Welterweight
Another fight between two athletes who are young and looking to get themselves into the stacked welterweight rankings. Islam Dulatov comes into the fight 12-1, with the only loss being by decision. He is 1-0 in the UFC and is on a 12-fight win streak. He also has competed in multiple boxing matches in which he came out the winner. All of his wins have been by knockout or submission, with the only decision he’s ever gone to ending in a loss. Duatov also wins most of his fights in the first round. Turman is 18-8 in his career and 3-6 in the UFC. He is on a three-fight losing streak and hasn’t fought in almost three years. After a long layoff, he is looking to make a theatrical return and get back into the win column.
Turman’s layoff could be a big disadvantage in this fight, and he is coming back against someone who has been active and slaying any opponent in front of him. It will be most important for Turman to survive the first round and keep himself out of danger. Put Dulatov into unfamiliar territory and make it a dogfight. This seems like the best course of action, as taking three years off for any fighter doesn’t put them in the best position. Experience and grit will have to take over for Turman as Dulatov is going to come out strong to begin the fight. This has the potential to be one of the better fights of the night, and fans can’t wait to see how it plays out.
Steve Erceg vs Ramazan Temirov: Flyweight
The only flyweight fight on the card is for sure going to be one of the best of the night. Steve Erceg fast-tracked his way to a title fight in which he gave former champion Alexandre Pantoja a run for his money. Erceg is 14-4 in his career and 5-3 in the UFC. After going on a three-fight losing streak against some of the best flyweights in the division, he is now on a two-fight win streak and wants to make one more push towards the top.
Ramazan Temirov is a tough fight for anyone in the division, though. He is 19-2 in his career, 2-0 in the UFC, and on an 11-fight win streak. He has not been as active as Erceg, but he has some impressive wins on his resume. He is also a big puncher for the lightweight division, with 11 of his 19 wins being by knockout. Erceg is well-rounded but more of a point fighter, while Temirov has the power mixed with great striking that could give Erceg problems. Erceg has been in the octagon with some of the best in the world, though, no matter if he won or lost. Championship-level experience could go a long way for Erceg, but he has to respect the skill of Temirov in return. This will potentially be the fight of the night, and the winner’s trajectory towards a top-five opponent will be propelled greatly.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Bogdan Guskov: Light Heavyweight
A former champion faces off against the #10-ranked fighter in the division in a matchup that only surfaced a few weeks ago. Magomed Ankalaev was supposed to fight Khalil Rountree in a possible contender fight to see who could fight for the interim light heavyweight championship next. Due to an injury, though, Rountree had to pull out, and Bogdan Guskov was given this fight on short notice. Guskov also had a fight against Jan Blachowicz on August first but was switched to this fight as the main event was in trouble.
Guskov was already in camp for a fight, so he will come into this fight in great shape, but he is facing a former champion who is 21-2-1 in his career and has cemented himself as one of the best light heavyweight fighters in the world. Major respect has already been given to Guskov for even taking this fight, but a win could fast-track him into the top five of the division. Ankalaev will be the best fighter that Guskov has ever fought, and he is a massive underdog, but crazier things have happened in the sport.
Ankalaev’s striking is elite and even caused problems for Alex Pereira in their first fight, so Guskov will have to adapt to the skill difference from Ankalaev and his previous opponents. Guskov is 4-1 in the UFC and is on a four-fight win streak, with all wins being by KO. He has 15 knockout wins in his career and has the power to put out anyone in the division. It will be interesting to see how the fighters adapt to their new opponent with only two weeks of preparation. Will Guskov come out firing on all cylinders? Will Ankalaev use his wrestling to prevent the KO shot from Guskov? A lot of questions with all the answers being revealed come Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
