Packed Etihad Arena witnesses thrilling fight night

ABU DHABI: Thousands of fans packed Etihad Arena for an unforgettable night of mixed martial arts action featuring thrilling finishes, memorable performances and exciting bouts.

Abu Dhabi Showdown Week came to a spectacular close with UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Guskov, where the main event saw former UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev defeat Bogdan Guskov via a fifth-round TKO. The result strengthens the Russian’s claim for another shot at the UFC light heavyweight title.

“I always want to put on exciting fights for the fans. If the opportunity comes to fight again in Abu Dhabi in October, I’m ready,” he said.

In the co-main event, Ramazan Temirov continued his impressive rise in the flyweight division with a stunning first-round knockout victory over Steve Erceg.

Temirov said: “At the beginning, I was a little shocked because I hadn’t fought in a year. But as soon as I heard the fans, they gave me so much energy. The atmosphere in Abu Dhabi was incredible.”

Elsewhere on the card, unbeaten lightweight Magomed “Chanko” Zaynukov remained undefeated with a dominant unanimous decision victory over the hitherto also-undefeated Damian Rzepecki in his UFC debut, while heavyweight Valter Walker extended his remarkable submission streak with a rare calf-slicer victory over Thomas Petersen for his fifth consecutive UFC win by submission.