*Magomed Ankalaev lands a stiff left hand on Alex Pereira. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

The UFC returns to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with an outstanding Fight Night card. There are plenty of exciting matchups throughout, featuring rising contenders, debuting prospects, and proven veterans looking to score an impressive win this Saturday. In the co-main event, we’ll see a clash of Flyweights when former title challenger Steve Erceg takes on the quickly rising Ramazan Temirov. In the main event, two top-ten Light Heavyweights will go toe-to-toe when precise striker Magomed Ankalaev faces marauding brawler Bogdan Guskov. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Abubakar Vagaev vs. Saygid Izagakhmaev

*Abubakar Vagaev celebrates his Welterweight title victory in ACA. Credit: Yahoo Sports.*

Welterweight Bout

Abubakar Vagaev: 24-4-0, 4 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Saygid Izagakhmaev: 22-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Vagaev has won four of his last five fights and is making his UFC debut. He’s a heavy-handed striker who’s always coming forward to do damage. He won’t move much and will stay right in front of his opponent, but he has great head movement and will batter his opponent with clean counterstriking. Vagaev is very explosive, often shifting from a slow, plodding pace to suddenly unloading long, vicious combinations. Training with Akhmat Fight Team, he’s highly accurate and remains technical throughout, fighting behind his jab and picking his shots. He’s an excellent wrestler and will occasionally pursue takedowns, but largely uses his grappling skills to deny takedowns and keep the fight standing. Vagaev has plenty of five-round experience outside the UFC and can comfortably maintain a solid pace.

*Saygid Izagakhmaev secures a takedown on Nicolas Dalby. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Izagakhmaev has won four of his last five bouts and is looking to score his first UFC victory. He’s a dominant wrestler with smothering top pressure. He’s patient on his feet, favoring power over volume and regularly landing heavy leg kicks and looping hooks. Izagakhmaev has excellent timing on his takedowns and great reversals, often finding himself in top position after a grappling exchange. Training at the A. Nurmagomedov Martial Arts School, he focuses on maintaining control on the mat but will land brutal ground-and-pound when he chooses to posture up. He has a wide variety of submission wins on his record, with particularly dangerous chokes and armbars. Five of Izagakhmaev’s last seven fights did not go the distance, and he’s always pursuing a finish.

#7 Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune

*Rizvan Kuniev blasts Jailton Almeida with a vicious knee to the head. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Heavyweight Bout

Rizvan Kuniev: 13-3-1, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Tyrell Fortune: 18-3-0, 10 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Kuniev has won three of his last five outings, with one no contest, and holds a UFC win over Jailton Almeida (22-5-0). He’s a powerful scrapper who constantly looks to land power shots and wear down his opponent. He has decent head movement, staying off the centerline and regularly dipping his head before blitzing into the pocket to throw heavy shots. Training at Gorets, he does a great job controlling the center of the cage, forcing his opponent to the outside while controlling the pace and distance. He regularly looks to clinch and control his opponent before pursuing takedowns, often chaining together takedown attempts to bring the fight to the mat. He has heavy top pressure and constantly looks to posture up and land ground-and-pound. Kuniev has secured the majority of his knockouts after round one, remaining dangerous at all times.

*Tyrell Fortune clips Marcin Tybura with a stiff right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Fortune has won four of his last five fights and has a UFC victory over Marcin Tybura (27-11-0). He’s an efficient wrestler with serious punching power. He has fast hands for a Heavyweight and remains technical throughout, varying the angles he enters the pocket from and throwing every shot with knockout intent. He’s a patient striker, not throwing often but always remaining technical and accurate while constantly looking for openings to land his right hand. Fortune will often shoot for takedowns early on and get inside, securing them with impressive speed. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he’s very active in top position, constantly working to improve while raining down relentless ground-and-pound. Fortune is a former NCAA Div. II national champion in wrestling and is always looking to bring the fight to the mat, where he’s most comfortable.

Magomed Zaynukov vs. Damian Rzepecki

*Magomed Zaynukov lands a brutal front kick to the face of Lucas Caldas. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Lightweight Bout

Magomed Zaynukov: 8-0-0, 5 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Damian Rzepecki: 10-0-0, 4 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Zaynukov is undefeated and making his UFC debut. He’s a former professional Muay Thai fighter with devastating striking. He throws everything in combination and with impressive power and speed, never telegraphing his attacks and rarely missing or overextending. He has fantastic counterstriking and constantly varies his targets, regularly mixing vicious body and leg kicks into his combinations. Training at the A. Nurmagomedov Martial Arts School, he’s willing to eat a shot to land one but won’t get drawn into brawls, instead remaining technical and throwing clean, tight shots throughout. He won't typically look to grapple, but he has solid control in top position and decent takedowns. Zaynukov can push a serious pace and set the Contender Series record for significant strikes landed in a Lightweight bout, battering his opponent with 248 shots over three rounds.

*Damian Rzepecki is interviewed following his FEN Lightweight title victory over Marcin Jablonski. Credit: FEN.*

Rzepecki is undefeated and making his UFC debut. He’s a technical striker who grows more dangerous as the fight continues. He has an awkward, highly unpredictable style, constantly feinting and circling before letting his hands go. He’s accurate, picks his shots, never charges in recklessly, and regularly unloads clean, straight punches. Rzepecki has great distance management and won’t absorb much damage, darting into the pocket to land shots before returning to range unscathed. He won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges but has strong takedown and submission defense. Rzepecki heats up as the fight goes on, increasing his pace and output, and he’s secured eight of his nine finish wins in either the second or third round.

Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman

*Islam Dulatov cracks Adam Fugitt with a right hook. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Welterweight Bout

Islam Dulatov: 12-1-0, 8 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Wellington Turman: 18-8-0, 4 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Dulatov is on a twelve-fight win streak and holds a UFC victory over Adam Fugitt (10-6-0). He’s a marauding striker in constant pursuit of a knockout. He throws everything with blinding speed and knockout power, never telegraphing his punches or kicks. Dulatov has clean, accurate striking but is willing to hang in the pocket and exchange, and often gets wild going for a finish. He’s highly explosive, staying at range and firing kicks before suddenly blitzing forward, unloading vicious hooks and straight punches. He won’t typically look to bring the fight to the mat, but he has solid takedown defense and get-ups. Dulatov has left the first round only twice in his professional career, and of his twelve finish wins, five were secured less than one minute into the first round.

*Wellington Turman submits Misha Cirkunov with a crafty armbar. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Turman has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC wins over Misha Cirkunov (15-9-0), Sam Alvey (34-18-1), and Markus Perez (12-6-0). He is a durable scrapper with a black belt in BJJ and an outstanding submission game. He will look to take the fight to the mat early but won’t typically shoot for takedowns in open space, instead clinching up and looking for throws and trips. Turman has an excellent backtake and can secure submissions with blinding speed, both from top or bottom position. He has great low kicks and will regularly fire them from range before crashing into the pocket to throw power shots. Training at Teixeira MMA & Fitness, he has a solid chin and will occasionally get flashy, throwing spinning backfists and spinning kicks. Turman has particularly lethal chokes and has secured seven of his eight submission wins via either guillotine or rear-naked choke.

#13 Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov

*Steve Erceg lands a powerful jab on Tim Elliott. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Flyweight Bout

Steve Erceg: 14-4-0, 2 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Ramazan Temirov: 19-3-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Erceg has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #15-ranked Flyweight Alessandro Costa (17-5-0), Tim Elliott (22-14-1), and Matt Schnell (17-11-0). He’s an extremely well-rounded fighter with technical striking and a dangerous submission game. He has clean, precise boxing and tends to headhunt but remains technical throughout. Erceg has excellent counterstriking, constantly darting out of the pocket to avoid damage and quickly returning with shots of his own. He favors his hands but has excellent kicks and hides them well, occasionally adding heavy head and body kicks at the end of his combinations. Training at Wilkes Martial Arts, he’s averaging over one takedown per fifteen minutes and can find submissions with incredible speed. Erceg has solid cardio and maintains a consistent pace throughout, never getting sloppy or putting himself in bad spots.

*Ramazan Temirov blasts CJ Vergara with a left hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Temirov is on an eleven-fight win streak and holds UFC victories over Charles Johnson (19-9-0) and CJ Vergara (12-7-1). He’s a wild, elusive striker who’s always moving and throwing bombs. He has great distance management and will stay at range, avoiding damage before exploding forward to throw heavy overhands. Temirov won’t typically throw big combinations, but he throws everything with devastating speed and power, regularly mixing in vicious spinning attacks. He can do damage going forward or backward and is comfortable either controlling the center of the cage or floating on the outside. Training at Muradov Legion Gym, he will typically keep the fight standing, but he has solid takedowns and takedown defense. Temirov carries his power throughout the fight but slows as it continues and is at his most dangerous early on, with five of his last six wins coming via first-round knockout.

#2 Magomed Ankalaev vs. #9 Bogdan Guskov

*Magomed Ankalaev lands a crushing left hand on Aleksandar Rakić. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Light Heavyweight Bout

Magomed Ankalaev: 21-2-1, 11 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Bogdan Guskov: 18-3-1, 15 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Ankalaev has won three of his last five fights, with one No Contest, and has UFC wins over #1-ranked Light Heavyweight Alex Pereira (13-4-0), #14-ranked Light Heavyweight Johnny Walker (22-10-0), and Volkan Oezdemir (21-8-0). He’s a former Light Heavyweight champion and a precise striker with an outstanding grappling background. He’s constantly pressuring his opponent but won’t get wild, instead staying composed and looking for openings to land big punches and counterstrikes. Ankalaev has great kicks and will constantly vary his targets, regularly throwing combos and ending them with kicks to the body or legs. Training at Gorets, he holds the rank of Master of Sports in Combat Sambo and averages about one takedown per fifteen minutes. He’s most comfortable on his feet but has excellent wrestling skills he can fall back on at any time. Ankalaev was the first-ever Russian UFC Light Heavyweight champion and previously held the second-longest unbeaten streak in Light Heavyweight history, going 14 consecutive fights without a loss.

*Bogdan Guskov rains down ground-and-pound onto a floored Nikita Krylov. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Guskov has won four of his last five bouts, with one draw, and holds UFC victories over #15-ranked Heavyweight Ryan Spann (24-11-0), Nikita Krylov (31-12-0), and Billy Elekana (10-2-0). He’s a marauding striker who’s always looking for a knockout. He’s always coming forward and pressuring his opponent, throwing every shot with accuracy and knockout intent. Training at GOR MMA, Guskov tends to fight with his hands low, remaining unpredictable before bursting into the pocket to unload combinations. He primarily uses his hands to do damage and varies his shots well, regularly landing brutal body shots. He has secured 13 first-round finishes and rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, going to just a single decision in his professional career. Guskov is very durable and willing to brawl, but he has good head movement and moves in and out of the pocket very efficiently.

Best Bets

Abubakar Vagaev by Decision: This is an excellent matchup between two skilled Welterweights. Although both are very capable fighters, I believe Vagaev is the more well-rounded of the two and has a significant striking advantage. Izagakhmaev has power in his hands but is primarily a wrestler and will usually look to take the fight to the mat as soon as possible. Vagaev is an excellent boxer with sharp, technical hands and great takedown defense, and I believe Izagakhmaev will struggle to get him to the ground or keep him there. Vagaev is very technical and tends to take his time in his fights, with 19 of his 24 wins coming via decision. I anticipate more of the same in this matchup. I expect Izagakhmaev to constantly pursue takedowns and for Vagaev to deny them, wearing down Izagakhmaev’s cardio while picking him apart with clean shots. Although I don’t expect a wild brawl, I do believe Vagaev will put on an impressive showing and earn his first UFC victory.

Steve Erceg Moneyline: I’ve been looking forward to this fascinating matchup of talented Flyweights. Both are dangerous anywhere the fight goes, but I believe Erceg’s technical skill and gas tank will be the difference-maker. In his brief UFC tenure, Temirov has proven exceptionally explosive and powerful, but his cardio looked suspect against Charles Johnson, as he slowed significantly as the fight went on. Erceg, on the other hand, seems to improve the later fights go on, letting his hands go more often and turning up the pace. Basically, the longer this fight goes, the worse it gets for Temirov. I expect Temirov to come out guns blazing, pushing a heavy pace and hunting a knockout, while Erceg stays defensive and technical, avoiding Temirov’s power shots and wild spinning attacks. Once the first round has ended, I expect Erceg to slowly take control of the fight, dictating the pace and battering Temirov with his superior boxing en route to a solid victory.

Magomed Ankalaev by KO/TKO: This is an interesting matchup of top-ten Light Heavyweights. It’s an unexpected pairing, given that Guskov took the fight on short notice, and I don’t think these fighters are very close in skill level. Ankalaev is not only the far more well-rounded of the two, but I believe his striking is much more technical than Guskov’s, and he’s faced a significantly higher level of competition in his previous outings. I expect Guskov’s aggressive, hard-charging style to play right into Ankalaev's precise counterstriking, and Ankalaev also has the ability to take the fight to the mat whenever he pleases. I anticipate this fight to get off to a hot start, with Guskov pushing the action while Ankalaev stays technical, picking his shots and letting Guskov burn himself out. As the fight continues, I expect Guskov to fade and Ankalaev to open up, letting his hands go, landing big shots, and possibly mixing in some takedowns. Ultimately, regardless of how long this fight lasts, I’m confident that Ankalaev will get the job done and knock Guskov out before the final bell.

UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Guskov Preview