The UFC makes its return to Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 25! The Former 205-pound king, Magomed Ankalaev, takes on rising contender Bogdan Guskov in the Main Event of this card. This event has an early start time of 9:00 a.m. ET with the Prelims and 12:00 p.m. ET for the Main Card on Paramount+.
Check out my best bets and full breakdown below ahead of this week’s UFC Fight Night.
Best Bets for UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov
- Ankalaev vs. Guskov: Over 2.5 Rounds (+114): With two fighters looking to get back in the win column, this contest will last longer than expected. Guskov’s last eight wins have come in the first two rounds, but he has never beaten someone as talented as Ankalev.
- Steve Erceg Moneyline (-112): Steve Erceg has won two straight fights, and with his physical advantages, he should be able to slow down knockout artist Ramazan Temirov, leading to his third straight victory.
- Islam Dulatov to Win by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 1 (-160): Dulatov’s supreme power paired with his aggressive nature should be too much for Wellington Turman to handle.
UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov Best Bets Breakdown
Ankalaev vs. Guskov: Over 2.5 Rounds (+114)
Magomed Ankalaev is making his return after nine months away against Bogdan Guskov. Ankalaev lost the UFC Light Heavyweight title to Alex Pereira in his last bout. Before that, Ankalaev was on a 14-fight unbeaten streak from September 2018 to March 2025. Guskov, who took this fight on short notice, has gone 8-1-1 in his previous 10 contests.
Guskov averages more significant strikes per minute (4.57 vs. 3.65) while having a higher striking accuracy (55% vs. 52%). In this fight, both fighters are 6’3,” and Guskov has the reach advantage (76″ vs. 75″). On DraftKings Sportsbook, Ankalaev is -535 with Guskov being a +400 underdog.
Guskov’s last fight went three rounds and ended via a draw. Ankalaev’s last two wins have gone at least three rounds, and six of his last 10 contests have gone over 2.5 rounds. With Guskov coming off a draw and Ankalaev off a loss, I’m taking this fight to go over 2.5 rounds, which is +114. Also, in the last five years, Ankalaev only has two victories in the first two rounds.
Steve Erceg Moneyline (-112)
Former UFC Flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg has won two straight fights and is attempting to extend his winning streak against Ramazan Temirov in the co-main event of this card. Temirov is 19-3 with 12 finishes and has started his UFC career 2-0. Before his last decision win over Charles Johnson, Temirov won five consecutive fights by knockout.
Erceg holds a big height (5’8″ vs. 5’4″) and reach (68″ vs. 63″) advantage over Temirov in this contest. Although Temirov is a more powerful striker, Erceg is a better all-around fighter on the feet. Erceg averages 0.27 more significant strikes per minute (4.64 vs. 4.37) while landing them at a seven percent higher rate (47% vs. 40%).
For this fight, Erceg is a slight -112 favorite with Temirov being the underdog at -108. Although it is a close fight with two top-tier strikers, I favor Erceg, as he has more high-level experience and has shown the ability to win fights the longer they last. Also, with Erceg’s height and reach advantages, Temirov could struggle to get into his rhythm on offense.
Islam Dulatov to Win by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 1 (-160)
One of the top MMA gyms, American Top Team, continues to produce elite prospects, and Islam Dulatov appears to be next in line. Dulatov is 12-1 with 12 finishes and first scored a first-round knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series and followed it up with another first-round knockout in his UFC debut. Since losing his MMA debut, Dulatov has won 12 consecutive fights by finish, with 11 of them coming in the first round. Wellington Turman, Dulatov’s opponent, is 18-8 with 12 finishes. Turman is currently on a three-fight losing streak and hasn’t won a fight since February 2022.
At 27 years old, Dulatov looks like a future title challenger. 11 of his 12 victories have come in the first round, and he hasn’t appeared in a second round since June 2021. With Dulatov being -1000 to pick up the victory and -200 to score a knockout, let’s look at a different way to back him. Because of Dulatov’s tremendous athleticism and versatile finishing ability, getting him at -160 to win by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 1 is my favorite play in this contest.
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