PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 02: UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg is seen in attendance during the UFC Fight Night event at RAC Arena on May 02, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) Did “Big Ank” get back in the title picture? Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev scored a fifth-round technical knockout win over No. 9-ranked Bogdan Guskov in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi yesterday (Sat., July 25, 2026) inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (watch highlights). Technically, it was a finish. Getting there, however, was a chore. The fight was widely panned by fans for being incredibly boring up until the stoppage, but current UFC Light Heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg was paying close attention. Ulberg was in Abu Dhabi as a featured guest fighter and watched the main event cageside before reacting to Ankalaev’s win backstage. “Congrats to Ankalaev,” Ulberg told UFC reporter Charly Arnolt on the Paramount+ post-show. “I saw what I needed to see, and I’ll make sure I do everything I can to get back in there. The division is a little shaky at the moment. No one is very dominant at the moment. I saw what I needed to see. I’ll leave it at that. “I’ve always seen Ankalaev as a top contender,” Ulberg continued. “So he’s definitely one of the guys that will be up next as well.” View this post on Instagram Ulberg is currently on the sidelines recovering from a torn ACL, which he suffered during his title-winning knockout over Jiri Prochazka. The champion also gave an update on when he hopes to return. “We’re looking at early next year, so 2027 if we’re being smart, so we don’t come in too early and re-injure ourselves,” Ulberg said. “I’m just making sure I do everything I need to keep on task with my injury, but then also just been working closely with the UFC PI and make sure I can get back in there as quickly as possible, but also as safely as possible.” That leaves the Light Heavyweight division in a weird spot. Ulberg is injured. Ankalaev just won, but did not exactly set the world on fire. Alex Pereira is no longer in the division. Prochazka is coming off a knockout loss. And several contenders are still trying to separate themselves from the pack. So, while Ankalaev may have put himself back into the title conversation with the win, it was hardly the kind of performance that screams automatic title shot. The good news for UFC is that Ulberg likely will not return until early 2027, which gives the division several more months to sort itself out. Someone still has time to break through because right now, 205 pounds feels wide open. For complete UFC Abu Dhabi results and play-by-play, click here.