Historic UFC Night in Abu Dhabi: One Exploded, One Endured (Video)
The Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi witnessed an unforgettable night for Uzbek MMA. In the two main bouts of the tournament, Ramazon Temirov and Bogdan Guskov stepped into the octagon: one destroyed his famous ranked opponent in the first round, while the other fought all the way to the decisive round against a former champion.
Temirov stopped Steve Erceg by technical knockout at 4:21 of the first round. In the main event, Magomed Ankalayev stopped Guskovwith strikes at 2:41 of the fifth round.
Two Uzbek fighters in main card bouts on the same night
The main event of UFC Fight Night 282 featured Magomed Ankalayev and Bogdan Guskov. In the second most important bout of the evening, Ramazon Temirov faced former title challenger Steve Erceg. The tournament took place on July 25 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Guskov accepted this opportunity on less than two weeks' notice. He stepped in to replace Khalil Rountree, who withdrew due to injury, preparing for a five-round main event on short notice.
This night meant much more than just a win and a loss: two representatives of Uzbekistan entered the octagon consecutively on the biggest stage in UFC.
Temirov gave Erceg no room to breathe
For Ramazon Temirov, the fight against Steve Erceg was the biggest test of his career. The Australian athlete had previously fought for the UFC championship belt and was ranked in the top ten of the division ahead of the tournament.
However, Temirov did not care about the opponent's experience or status. He applied heavy pressure from the first round, rocking Erceg several times with hard strikes. After another powerful assault at 4:21, the referee stopped the fight.
This victory marked Temirov's third success in the UFC octagon and his second first-round finish. After the fight, he did not hide his intention to contend for the championship belt.
Guskov went the distance against the former champion until the final round
Bogdan Guskov faced a much tougher task. He stepped into the octagon against former champion Magomed Ankalayev with a short training camp.
Guskov posed a constant threat with his heavy punches and carried the bout into the fifth round. However, in the final round, Ankalayev ramped up the pressure and landed a flurry of strikes. The referee stopped the contest at 2:41.
Despite the defeat, Guskov:
accepted the fight on short notice;
fought his first five-round bout against a former champion;
battled until the decisive round;
gained massive experience against the light heavyweight elite.
For Ankalayev, this victory was an important step towards returning to a championship title shot.
Full results of UFC Fight Night 282
A total of 12 fights took place at the event. The scheduled bout between Islam Dulatov and Wellington Turman was canceled a few hours before the start due to Dulatov's illness.
Main Card
Fight | Result |
|---|---|
Magomed Ankalayev vs. Bogdan Guskov | Ankalayev, TKO, R5 2:41 |
Steve Erceg vs. Ramazon Temirov | Temirov, TKO, R1 4:21 |
Magomed Zainukov vs. Damian Riepetsky | Zainukov, unanimous decision — 30:27 |
Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune | Kuniev, TKO, R3 1:12 |
Saygid Izagakhmaev vs. Abubakar Vagaev | Vagaev, unanimous decision — 29:28 |
Prelims
Fight | Result |
|---|---|
Walter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen | Walker, submission, R1 1:32 |
Dustin Jacoby vs. Muhammad Saidov | Saidov, TKO, R2 4:49 |
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson | Patterson, TKO, R2 3:06 |
Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola | Sola, submission, R1 4:44 |
Brendson Ribeiro vs. Magomed Tuchalov | Tuchalov, unanimous decision — 29:28 |
Nurullo Aliev vs. Mike Davis | Aliev, unanimous decision — 30:27 |
Abdul Hussein vs. Cody Gibson | Hussein, submission, R3 3:07 |
All results are recorded on MMA Fighting's event recap page.
The main takeaway of the night for Uzbek MMA
The results varied, but both fighters sent a strong signal at their respective levels.
Temirov stopped a top-ten former title challenger in the first round, making a serious statement to climb the rankings. Meanwhile, despite short preparation, Guskov fought the former champion into the fifth round, proving he is ready for elite-level fights.
Now Temirov awaits another big ranked matchup, while Guskov prepares to return to the octagon with a full training camp. The night in Abu Dhabi is over, but a new chapter on the big road has just begun for both Uzbek fighters.
In your opinion, was the highlight of the night Temirov's knockout or Guskov's grit against the former champion? Share your thoughts in the comments and share the article with UFC fans via Telegram.
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