Bogdan Guskov

Bogdan Guskov, known by the nickname "Czarevitch," is a light heavyweight competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Born in Uzbekistan, he comes from an ethnic Russian family and has embraced that Russian identity throughout his athletic career.

Guskov was raised in the village of Dukent, Uzbekistan, in a family of modest means. He first gravitated toward athletics and volleyball before his aunt helped fund his early boxing and kickboxing training. As a teenager he relocated to Moscow, where he worked installing ventilation systems and as a club bouncer before committing fully to combat sports. He transitioned into mixed martial arts in 2015 and spent several years building his record on Russia's regional MMA circuit before earning a UFC contract.

Guskov holds Master of Sport designations in both boxing and mixed martial arts, credentials rooted in the Russian sporting system, and has earned a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also collected regional titles in grappling and kickboxing on his way up the ranks.

Fighting out of an orthodox stance, Guskov has built his reputation as an aggressive, finish-oriented striker who prefers to press forward and trade rather than let bouts go to the judges' scorecards. He describes his own approach simply as wanting to "rumble," relying on heavy hands and constant pressure, while also showing the ability to close out fights on the ground when the opportunity arises.

Guskov made his UFC debut in September 2023 against veteran Volkan Oezdemir in Paris, an experience he later described as a valuable lesson. He rebounded the following year with a first-round knockout of Zac Pauga, then delivered one of the most emphatic finishes of his early UFC tenure with a violent TKO stoppage of Ryan Spann, earning a post-fight bonus for the performance.

Stats last updated: September 16, 2026