Weidman defends Ankalaev after lackluster UFC Abu Dhabi main event

Magomed Ankalaev won a five-round bout against Bogdan Guskov at UFC Abu Dhabi, but the fight was widely criticized for its low activity, with both fighters spending much of the match circling the cage. Ankalaev secured a technical knockout in the fifth round after taking Guskov down and delivering ground-and-pound.

UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman defended Ankalaev’s performance, saying the fighter was “as good as we always thought he was” and that the pacing early in the fight was intentional. > "I think he’s very good, and so you want to see him go out there and just dominate this guy. The first couple of rounds, I think he was taking his time… He tried to push the pace, he tried to look for the finish, and Guskov was running from him. He shot for a takedown and took him down super easy, ends up getting the finish by TKO. It wasn’t a super exciting fight, but I don’t think this one was his fault. I think it was Guskov’s fault," Weidman said on the Deep Waters podcast.

Weidman added that pacing is normal in a five-round contest and praised Ankalaev’s wrestling, noting it was the first time he had seen the fighter employ it extensively. He also expressed frustration that fans were harsher on Ankalaev despite the victory, saying, "You know what’s crazy, we’re talking about this guy like it’s a negative… He finished a guy who’s very dangerous, so you’ve got to give him props."

Ankalaev acknowledged the criticism and pointed to Guskov’s reluctance to engage as a factor in the fight’s tempo. He later mentioned a potential future bout with Paulo Costa, while Weidman suggested a matchup with former champion Jiri Prochazka as a more exciting option for the No. 1 contender slot.