Kicking off the main card this past Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi was a matchup between two dangerous light heavyweight contenders. Bogdan Guskov (18-3) was looking to get the biggest win of his octagon career while Nikita Krylov (30-11) was looking to bounce back after a tough loss in his last fight.
I didn’t expect this fight to go the distance and it certainly didn’t. When the fight started out both men seemed a little tentative knowing the danger that could be coming back at them should they overcommit on a shot and leave themselves exposed. Krylov seemed to be getting the better of things early on, but Guskov was staying composed.
Eventually, Guskov caught Krylov flush coming in and Krylov went down. Guskov followed up with a bunch of shots and secured the massive TKO win at UFC Abu Dhabi which vaulted him into the top ten at light heavyweight.
What’s next after UFC Abu Dhabi?
With his big knockout win, Guskov is now ranked 10th at light heavyweight. After stumbling in his octagon debut against former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir, Bogdan Guskov has won four fights in a row and all four wins have come via stoppage. Now, he’ll set his eyes on the UFC’s top ten contenders.
In terms of what’s next, I think that he should be lined up against a former champion. I really like the idea of Guskov facing off against Jamahal Hill. Jamahal Hill really is in a tough spot right now. After climbing to the top of the sport in January 2023 by becoming light heavyweight champion, he’s lost three fights in a row and dealt with a number of injuries.
He’s coming off a disappointing decision loss against Khalil Rountree at UFC Baku and he really needs to bounce back. Given the styles of both men, I think it would be incredibly exciting with both men having so much to fight for. For Guskov, he could beat a former champion and move closer towards title contention. For Hill, it’s a do-or-die fight because with a win, he’d be back on track. With a loss, you’d really have to start questioning what’s next for him.
