UFC Abu Dhabi Ankalaev vs. Guskov Main Card Odds, Predictions, Picks & Analysis

This week, the UFC is taking the action to the Middle East for a matinee of a fight card at UFC Abu Dhabi. They have brought out all the stops for the hometown fans as many of the region's top prospects line the 13-fight card.

No bigger home favorite then Magomed Ankalaev, who will take on Bogdan Guskov in the Main Event. The bout was made on just a few weeks' notice as Khalil Rountree was forced to pull out due to injury.

The UFC did their best to keep Ankalaev on the card, serving him up-and-coming Russian prospect Bogdan Guskov in a bounce-back fight. The co-main event will also feature another hot prospect in Ramazan Temirov, who will take on Steve Erceg.

Temirov is looking to rebound from a PED suspension while Erceg is looking to assert himself in the title picture with a win. These are just the cherry on top of an exciting card, as the other 11 bouts are high level matchups, including a stacked main card.

The fight card is scheduled to start early for U.S. fans with a 9 a.m. ET start time for early prelims. So, let us not waste any more time and dive right into a breakdown of UFC Abu Dhabi, live from the Etihad Arena in the UAE!

All listed odds are from Lucky Rebel, where new players can get a 125% bonus up to $1250 and 50 casino free spins.

Main Event: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov Preview – Light Heavyweight

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov Odds:

• Moneyline: Magomed Ankalaev (-600) vs. Bogdan Guskov (+425)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (+125)/Under (-145)
• Most Likely Method of Victory: Magomed Ankalaev by KO/TKO (-155)

The main event of the evening features the return of Magomed Ankalaev. The former champion will be taking on top prospect Bogdan Guskov in a five-round bout.

Guskov is stepping back into the octagon on the heels of a questionable performance against Jan Blachowicz.

The first round went as many expected it to with Guskov hurting Blachowicz several times on the feet. But Guskov was unable to finish the fight in the first or second round, and as the fight continued, he began to fade. Blachowicz worked his way back into the fight using his grappling to force a draw.

The draw put a full stop on all the momentum Guskov was building. A debut loss had many fans questioning Guskov's ability, but he turned it around and put together an impressive four-fight winning streak.

The most impressive part of Guskov's streak was that he finished all four fights. But he couldn't keep the streak going against Blachowicz, and the draw exposed his biggest liabilities, which are his cardio and defensive wrestling.

If things do not go his way on the feet, he does not have much for his opponents on the ground. I have confidence in Guskov's ability to eventually improve his cardio, but I am just not sure if it will show in this matchup.

Magomed Ankalaev is a formidable foe for any of the top prospects in the light heavyweight division. Undoubtably the No. 1 contender in the division, he is taking a huge risk by accepting this fight on such short notice.

Will Ankalaev Bounce Back From Losing The Belt?

The originally scheduled opponent, Khalil Roundtree Jr., was forced to pull out due to injury just a few weeks ago. The UFC has not done Ankalaev a disservice by any means, considering Guskov is a much easier matchup for him.

However, Ankalaev will need every advantage he can get as he looks to bounce back from losing his belt in 2025. The Russian was successful in defeating Alex Pereira in his first attempt at claiming gold, nearly pitching a shutout as well.

In the rematch he looked like a shell of himself, allowing Pereira to march forward and land big power shots. Ultimately Ankalaev was finished in the first round, and many questions arose about his performance.

After the fight, reports came out that Ankalaev was suffering from a severe rib injury in the rematch. In my opinion, I don't believe a healthy Ankalaev would have made much of a difference that night as Pereira was a man on a mission.

The loss was rather devastating as it was the first time Ankalaev was knocked out in his career. Many fighters do not come back the same after a loss like that, but I have confidence Ankalaev is young enough to bounce back in the correct fashion.

Co-Main Event: Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov Preview – Flyweight

Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov Odds

• Moneyline: Steve Erceg (-110) vs. Ramazan Temirov (-110)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (-190) / Under (+165)
• Most Likely Method of Victory: Steve Erceg by Points (+165)

The co-main event is an exciting matchup of top flyweight contenders. Steve Erceg will make his return against an upcoming prospect, Ramazan Temirov.

The bout is sure to have some high stakes as the top of the flyweight division is wide open. A big win here could secure a No. 1-contender match up next.

It may come as a surprise to many that Temirov is even getting this opportunity. The Uzbekistan prospect has had an interesting start to his career by winning his first two UFC bouts.

The UFC has been rather quick to increase his level of competition along the way. An impressive debut over C.J. Vergara earned him a top-15 match up with Charles Johnson.

Temirov handled the rise in competition very well, dominating Johnson over the course of three rounds. Shortly after the Johnson fight, Temirov tested positive for PEDs and was subsequently suspended.

Instead of punishing Temirov for his return fight, the UFC has handed him a very winnable top-five matchup. The bout is particularly favorable due to Temirov's grappling prowess and wrestling ability.

The striking aspect of his game leaves a little to be desired and has much room to improve. Luckily, he is only 29 years old, so he has plenty of time to grow into his strengths before he enters his prime.

In recent history, many fighters that are returning from a PED suspension look like a shell of themselves. Temirov, however, showed up to the scales completely shredded and in peak physical form.

Will Temirov Bounce Back from Suspension?

I do not expect much of a drop off for Temirov & the PED suspension may have truly been a fluke rather than him indulging in PEDs. Whether Temirov is on a banned substance or not, he will need all of his skill set to defeat a top flyweight prospect like Steve Erceg.

Erceg is another fighter whose career was catapulted very early on. In his debut, the Australian delivered a big upset victory of David Dvorak. After the impressive debut, Erceg was fast tracked to the top of the division with back-to-back wins over Alessandro Costa and Matt Schnell. The wins were enough to impress the UFC brass into giving him a title shot after just three fights in the division.

That is a very rare feat, and it proved to be too much, too soon for Erceg. He fought flyweight legend Alexadre Pantoja for the flyweight belt in 2024 but came up short.

Pantoja dominated the fight early, but as the fight went on, he began to fade. This opened the door for Erceg to fight his way back into the bout and made the decision a lot closer than it seemed.

Despite fighting valiantly in his title shot, Erceg went on a tough run following. Fighting legends like Pantoja, Kai Kara France, and Brandon Moreno all in a row is not exactly a recipe for success for a young fighter.

After starting his career with the UFC 3-0, everything changed in the wrong direction after the title fight. Erceg found himself on a three-fight losing streak, which means he has experienced both the true highs and lows of the fight game.

Can Erceg Continue His Winning Streak?

The losing streak required a step down in competition in order to get back on track and that is exactly what Erceg has accomplished. Back-to-back decision wins over Ode Osbourne and Tim Elliott have put Erceg back into title contention and top-five ranked fights.

It appears he is still fighting down in the rankings as Temirov is only on the come up, but the skill level is 100% there despite the rankings. Ramazan Temirov may not have the ranking, the resume, or the fan base like some of Erceg's previous opponents, but he 100% has the same skill.

There is no doubt in my mind that neither fighter will dominate this matchup from bell to bell. This is truly one of the more evenly matched bouts fans have seen in years, which has led to much anticipation of the bout.

Will Steve Erceg prove he belongs in the top of the division, or will this matchup be a coming out party for Temirov?

Other UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov Main Card Fights

Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman Odds – Welterweight

• Moneyline: Islam Dulatov (-1000) vs. Wellington Turman (+675)
• Round Total: 1.5 Total Rounds – Over (+219)/Under (-265)
• Most Likely Method of Victory: Islam Dulatov by KO/TKO/DQ (-185)

Damian Rzepecki vs. Magomed Zaynukov Odds – Lightweight

• Moneyline: Damian Rzepecki (+250) vs. Magomed Zaynukov (-290)
• Round Total: 1.5 Total Rounds – Over (-220)/Under (+186)
• Most Likely Method of Victory: Magomed Zaynukov by Points (+135)

Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune Odds – Heavyweight

• Moneyline: Rizvan Kuniev (-335) vs. Tyrell Fortune (+275)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (-145)/Under (+125)
• Most Likely Method of Victory: Rizvan Kuniev by Points (+150)

Featured Preliminary Bout: Valter Walker vs Thomas Petersen Odds – Heavyweight

The preliminary card for UFC Abu Dhabi also features some interesting fights. We don't have a preview for this week's prelims as we do for many other events, but the matchup between Valter Walker and Thomas Peterson is one that sticks out from the early fights.

• Moneyline: Valter Walker (-185) vs. Thomas Peterson (+160)
• Round Total: 1.5 Total Rounds – Over (-155)/Under (+135)
• Most Likely Method of Victory: Valter Walker by Submission (+150)

If you want my full card of UFC betting picks for each event, tune into Violence Report every Saturday. Or for more gambling content like this, make sure to follow me on X. Also, follow Betting News on X, as well as our other social media platforms. That includes our Twitch channel, where you can catch Betting News Network shows such as Violence Report, Afternoon Betspresso, and The Morning Spread throughout the week.

UFC Abu Dhabi Schedule & FAQ

When Is UFC Abu Dhabi?

• UFC Abu Dhabi will take place Saturday, July 25th, 2026.

Where Is UFC Abu Dhabi?

• UFC Abu Dhabi will go down live at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

What Time Does UFC Abu Dhabi Start?

• UFC Abu Dhabi Preliminary Card Start Time: 12 p.m. ET
• UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card Start Time: 3 p.m. ET

How Can You Watch UFC Abu Dhabi?

• UFC Abu Dhabi Preliminary Card Coverage: Paramount+
• UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card Coverage: Paramount+

How Can You Bet on UFC Abu Dhabi?

You can find UFC 329 odds at Lucky Rebel, BetOnline, and other top U.S. online sportsbooks, as well as the top Canadian sportsbooks, international sportsbooks, and VPN-friendly crypto sportsbooks.

Also, if you want to learn more about how to bet on UFC odds, check out our comprehensive UFC betting guide, which covers everything from basics of UFC fights, types of UFC bets, to helpful UFC betting strategies.