UFC light heavyweight Bogdan Guskov, known for his all-or-nothing style, added to his collection of knockouts with a second-round win over Ryan Spann, and expressed hope that his success could bring a UFC event to his home country of Uzbekistan.
Bogdan Guskov? Yeah, he’s sticking to his go-big-or-go-home style. No plans to change that.
Saturday? It was UFC Vegas 91. Guskov was in the co-main event. And boy, did he deliver. He added another knockout to his growing collection. This time, it was Ryan Spann who faced the hammer in the second round.
Guskov’s on a roll. He’s a rising star in the light heavyweight category. He’s won his last two fights by knockout. And get this: none of his 16 pro wins have needed a scorecard.
After the fight, Guskov had a chat with the reporters. He’s confident that his crowd-pleasing style will keep him in the UFC matchmakers’ good books.
“I think maybe the UFC, give me this chance,” Guskov said. He was talking at the post-fight press conference. Someone asked him about a potential title fight. “Big appreciate, big opportunity for me. Thank you for [UFC President Dana White], thank you Mick Maynard, thank you.”
Guskov’s all about the show. “I try, from my side, I want to show a big show every time. I’m not loving boring fights. No grappling match, no point match. I love blood and the show.”
Spann almost spoiled Guskov’s party, though. In the first round, Spann had Guskov wrestling against the fence. He even landed a couple of low blows. And he pummeled Guskov on the ground. But Guskov held on. He survived the first five minutes.
Guskov’s team had a plan. They expected Spann to come out strong and then fade. “Before the fight, we have a small plan,” Guskov said. “Give the first round for this guy to work, because in the second round, he seemed a little bit tired and [became] a very simple fighter, and finish him in the second round. This [was] my goal, my plan [from] my team.”
Spann was ranked No. 14 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings before the fight. Now, Guskov might just claim a top-15 spot in the UFC’s official rankings. If that happens, he’ll be the first Uzbek fighter with a ranking.
Guskov’s not alone. He’s got Nursulton Ruziboev and Makhmud Muradov with him. They’re a trio of talented Uzbek fighters. And they’re hoping to bring the UFC to their home country.
“One day, I hope the UFC comes to Tashkent, from Uzbekistan,” Guskov said. “Really, I want to fight [there]. We have three fighters from Uzbekistan and maybe we make a good show. Because from Uzbekistan, a lot of fans, and very strong fans, I love them. I want to give a show live, not only TV, because a lot of guys watch TV [in another time zone]. It’s very late now [in Uzbekistan], but a lot of people watching me. If we open my social media now, oy oy oy.”