Magomed Ankalaev may have punched his ticket to another UFC light heavyweight title shot earlier today (Sat., July 25, 2026) at UFC Abu Dhabi LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, as the former 205-pound champion laid waste to Bogdan Guskov with a fifth-round TKO (watch HERE).
In addition to the light heavyweight headliner, UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi delivered across the board. From highlight-reel knockouts to savvy submissions, Etihad Arena played host to a ton of exciting action. Check out some of the key performances below and let us know who stood out the most!
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Bantamweight newcomer Abdul Hussein delivered a late submission finish over Cody Gibson in his official Octagon debut (watch HERE)
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Rising welterweight contender Sam Patterson scored the biggest win of his career with a blistering second-round TKO finish over veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio (highlights HERE)
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Heavyweight submission specialist Valter Walker scored his fifth-straight submission with a first-round calf slicer against Thomas Petersen
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Octagon newcomer Muhammad Saidov made a big splash at 205 pounds after stopping UFC veteran Dustin Jacoby with a violent second-round head kick TKO (watch HERE)
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Rizvan Kuniev pushed his UFC heavyweight record to 2-1 with a nasty third-round TKO finish over hard-nosed veteran Tyrell Fortune
Now that the Octagon action has concluded, let’s take a closer look at the official UFC Abu Dhabi post-fight bonus winners. Remember, each winner gets an extra $100,000, while every fighter leftover who earned a finish gets $25,000.
Fight of the Night: Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune
Performance of the Night: Valter Walker
Performance of the Night: Ramazan Temirov
$25K Winners: Abdul Hussein, Axel Sola, Sam Patterson, Muhammad Said, and Magomed Ankalaev
For complete UFC Abu Dhabi results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
