Magomed
Ankalaev will only take on Paulo Costa
if the Brazilian is ready to bring the fight to him.
The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder
took on Bogdan
Guskov in the main event of
UFC Abu Dhabi. Guskov had stepped up on two weeks’ notice after
Ankalaev’s original opponent, Khalil
Rountree, pulled out due to an injury. Ankalaev dominated
Guskov in a slow-paced bout before finishing him in the final round
with ground-and-pound.
Now back in the win column, the Russian has addressed his next
bout.
Magomed Ankalaev says Paulo Costa fight depends on pressure and
forward movement
Ankalaev defended his recent performance against critics who found
it lackluster. He says that Guskov was backing up even though he
kept pressing forward.
“It wasn’t up to me whether the fight would be boring or not,”
Ankalaev told Red Corner MMA. “I was pressing forward, I wanted to
fight. But my opponent started working on the back foot and
constantly running from me. So, then I decided to start wrestling
and finish him on the ground.”
Costa was among those who found the fight boring, vowing to save
the light heavyweight division from monotony.
“By the power of the Almighty, I shall save this weight class from
monotony and boredom,” Costa wrote on X.
Costa (16-4) is coming off wins over Roman
Kopylov and the previously undefeated Azamat
Murzakanov, labeling himself a “Russian killer” as he sets his
sights on Ankalaev.
“One Russian killer against tedious fights,” he wrote in a
follow-up post.
Ankalaev (21-2) is ready to fight Costa if the former middleweight
title contender comes forward and doesn’t constantly remain on the
back foot as Guskov did.
“Costa didn’t perform in his division, then moved up, won a single
fight, and got loud,” Ankalaev said. “If he’s ready to press
forward, we’ll be waiting for him. But if he’s going to run and shy
away, I see no point in fighting him.”
Magomed
Ankalaev responds to criticism that his main event fight with
Bogdan
Guskov wasn’t entertaining, saying he wanted to engage but had
to adjust after Guskov stayed on the back foot. He also responds to
Paulo
Costa’s comments about bringing excitement back to the
division,… pic.twitter.com/M3HpHZIaRq— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA)
July 26, 2026
By the power of the Almighty, I shall save
this weighclass from monotony and boredom.— Paulo
Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA)
July 25, 2026
One Russian killer against tedious fights.
pic.twitter.com/4KHAHhjSfr— Paulo
Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA)
July 25, 2026