MMA Saturday: 3 Takeaways From UFC Abu Dhabi And PFL Washington D.C.

Saturday was a stacked day for MMA fans.

First, the UFC returned to Abu Dhabi for a Fight Night event headlined by Magomed Ankalaev’s first fight since losing the light heavyweight title to Alex Pereira. Initially scheduled to clash with Khalil Rountree Jr., Ankalaev instead received Bogdan Guskov on short notice after an injury to the former challenger.

Following the Ankalaev and Guskov fight, the PFL looked to fill the welterweight throne that Ramazan Kuramagomedov had vacated upon his retirement. Thad Jean was supposed to face Shamil Musaev, but complications with the latter’s weight cut saw Ernesto Rodriguez step up on short notice to save the card.

Here are three lessons learned across the two events.

3) Central Asia Deserves To Host A Major MMA Event

Ever since Valentina Shevchenko emerged as one of the best mixed martial artists in recent memory, Central Asia has gradually morphed into a hotbed for the sports. Multiple contenders across multiple division have emerged from the region, and the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi provided a new one.

Heading into his flyweight clash against Steve Erceg (pictured below), Ramazonbek Temirov was riding a eleven-win streak and had not lost since 2019. He needed only one round to knock out the Australian former challenger, immediately establishing himself as a must-watch prospect.

While Guskov came up short against Ankalaev, having two Uzbeks as the top two fights on a card is a testament to the emergence of Central Asian MMA. For that, the region shoulg get to host a major MMA event in the future – finally fulfilling a six-year-old “promise”.

One very obvious choice to headline would be Shevchenko in a title defense, assuming that she has not been dethroned by then. Otherwise, Temirov, Guskov, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, the last of whom has apparently resumed training, can also be called upon.

2) Tyson Pedro Should Have Stayed Retired

There was once a time when Tyson Pedro was thought to be among the next crop of Australian MMA stars. Unfortunately, untimely losses, especially to Ovince Saint-Preux and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, hurt his stock, and he retired in 2024.

Thus, it came as a surprise to some when Pedro was announced to be unretiring in late 2015 and joining the PFL. Apparently, winning a title in boxing had ignited a new competitive passion in him, and the end of the organization’s tournament era could mean an express route to MMA gold.

Instead, it has turned into utter disaster. After dropping a decision to Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov in his debut in April, Pedro was knocked out on Saturday by relative unknown Rafael Xavier. At 34 years of age, and now sitting at three straight losses inside the cage, he would have been wise to take the hint and stay retired.

Just look no further than BJ Penn and Tony Ferguson, who hung on for too long and paid the price…

1) Magomed Ankalaev Might Need One More Win This Year To Earn Title Shot

While Ankalaev managed to keep the gate against Guskov, it was not exactly the most exciting of fights. Thus, with Carlos Ulberg still recovering from knee injury, he may need to remain active to prove that he deserves the next shot.

Quite fortunately for Ankalaev, Rountree is not hurt significantly enough to be out for the rest of 2026 – at least according to his head coach John Wood. The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi in three months, so that fight could be rebooked as the co-main there.

Of course, however, there is also Alex Pereira’s specter. Ankalaev is 1-1 against him, so a rubber match between them would be a perfect addition for November’s annual Madison Square Garden visit. The stakes are easy: Ulberg gets the winner next year, preferably in New Zealand.

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End Of My MMA Rant

The UFC may be done this July, but MMA fans still have one last treat left for them.

This coming Friday, the PFL heads to Long Island for what could be its most consequential card so far. While the ever-dominant Usman Nurmagomedov defends the lightweight title against Archie Colgan in the main event, the co-main provides the most intrigue: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Denise Kielholtz.

It is no secret that the PFL wants Ditcheva as one of its faces, and a dream inaugural flyweight title fight against Liz Carmouche is its avenue to that. Kielholtz is supposed to be a mere speed bump, but stranger things have happened in MMA, and executives will be praying that the upset never happens…