Magomed Ankalaev secured a fifth-round stoppage victory over Bogdan Guskov at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on Saturday after overcoming a slow start to strengthen his claim for a shot at the UFC light heavyweight title.
The opening three rounds produced little action, drawing boos from the Etihad Arena crowd, before Ankalaev took control in the championship rounds. The Russian dominated on the ground in the fourth before forcing the stoppage with a barrage of punches in the fifth.
The victory was Ankalaev's 13th in the UFC, the most by any active light heavyweight.
Elsewhere on the main card, Ramazan Temirov extended his winning streak to 12 fights with a spectacular first-round knockout of former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg before calling for a title shot.
Magomed Zaynukov maintained his unbeaten record with a unanimous decision over Damian Rzepecki, while Rizvan Kuniev earned a third-round TKO victory against Tyrell Fortune. Abubakar Vagaev also claimed a unanimous decision win over Saygid Izagakhmaev.
The event was reduced to five main-card bouts after Islam Dulatov withdrew from his scheduled contest because of illness.
During the broadcast, the UFC also confirmed it will return to Abu Dhabi on October 24 for UFC 333, continuing its long-running partnership with the emirate.
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