Light heavyweight standout
Bogdan
Guskov means business every time he steps up to do battle
inside the Octagon. Hailing from Dukent, Uzbekistan, Guskov is the
archetype of a classic no-frills martial artist driven solely by a
yearning for competition. At 1-1 inside the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, the 31-year-old will take on
Ryan
Spann in the
UFC on ESPN 55 co-main event this Saturday in Las Vegas.
Ahead of his clash with Spann at 205 pounds, here are five things
you might not know about Guskov:
1. Martial arts appealed to him early in life.
In line with several MMA practitioners, Guskov started training at
the age of 8 in order to be able to defend himself. Speaking in an
interview with UFC.com, he claimed that over and above that, he
also strived to master the skills to defend his family. Plus, he
claims to be a pure adrenaline junkie and thrives in high-risk
endeavors. Competing in MMA served as the perfect release for this
emotion and he aims for his performances to manifest this raw
primal spirit.
2. He checks a lot of boxes.
Guskov is a man of multifarious achievements. He has been tempered
in battle and seasoned in competition. He has been granted the of
Master of Sports designation in boxing and in MMA. Besides that, he
was a K-1 silver medalist in Moscow and reigned as the MMA champion
in Uzbekistan. In addition, Guskov holds the rank of Brazilian
jiu-jitsu brown belt and was a former national champion in
kickboxing.
3. He sees the UFC as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
Being part of the UFC roster and having the opportunity to compete
against some of the best fighters in the game “means the world” to
Guskov. The way he sees it, this moment in time feels like the
exemplification of a lifetime’s worth of effort and commitment. “I
trained for this moment and now I get to showcase my talent in
front of the whole world on the biggest platform that is available
in the world of fighting,” he said. “UFC is my chance to show the
world who I am.”
4. Pursuits away from fighting occupy his free time.
It is a widely accepted reality that many fighters must engage in
odd jobs or one-off tasks to make ends meet before they can commit
to full-time competition. Guskov claims to have earned a bachelor’s
degree in a still-unnamed field of study and also considers himself
a professional welder—a job he might have picked up while tracking
down his MMA goals.
5. His skills have served him outside the cage.
Before he started fighting, Guskov put his martial arts knowledge
into practice as a bouncer for a club. After making his
professional debut in 2015, he went on a 2-1 run before posting a
solid eight-fight winning streak, with all eight of those victories
having resulted in finishes. He boasts an 87% knockout rate and has
also submitted two opponents.