He also applied the lessons learned from that fight against Oezdemir and used that experience to eliminate the pressures that he felt that night in Paris, and it paid dividends in the form of a first-round knockout over Pauga.
The win set Guskov up for another fight with a ranked light heavyweight contender. This time, it will be Ryan Spann standing across from him in the UFC APEX Octagon at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs Perez.
Getting another highly ranked opponent shows that the UFC sees the potential in Guskov, and the Uzbek plans to prove them right.
“I love to rumble, and I love an aggressive style. There is a thirst for me to make a show. I want to fight beautiful and not leave a chance for the judges,” Guskov said. “This co-main event is a big step for my career. He’s top 11 and after this fight I’ll be top 11, and we’ll keep moving.”
