Ankalaev vs. Guskov named new UFC Abu Dhabi main event after Rountree injury

Magomed Ankalaev will headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25th against Bogdan Guskov after Khalil Rountree Jr. was forced out of the main event with an injury, reshuffling plans across two upcoming cards in the process.

Ankalaev enters as the division's top-ranked contender and sits fifth on the pound-for-pound list, bringing a 21-2-1 record into the bout. The 34-year-old Russian, who trains out of Gorets Fight Club, stands six-foot-three and carries a 75-inch reach. He is one of the light heavyweight division's most complete fighters, connecting on 52 percent of his significant strikes while also mixing in nearly one takedown attempt per 15 minutes.

Guskov steps in as a late replacement, though the move comes at a cost to the UFC Belgrade card on August 1st, where he had been scheduled to rematch Jan Blachowicz. How that booking is resolved remains unclear.

Rountree, ranked seventh at light heavyweight, was unable to make it to fight night. The 36-year-old southpaw carries a 15-7-0 record and averages 3.88 significant strikes per minute, making him one of the division's more active punchers with a 76-inch reach across a 185 cm frame.

Blachowicz, meanwhile, now finds himself without an opponent less than three weeks out from UFC Belgrade. The 43-year-old Polish veteran holds a 29-11-2 record and is ranked fifth in the division, bringing a striking accuracy of 49 percent and over one takedown per 15 minutes to his fights.

Why it matters

• Ankalaev, ranked first at light heavyweight, needs a strong performance to keep himself in title contention
• Guskov's promotion to a higher-profile main event changes the stakes for his own divisional standing
• The Blachowicz rematch at UFC Belgrade is now in jeopardy, leaving one of the card's marquee bookings without a clear path forward