Fighters are dropping out like anything in the latest UFC matchups. News emerged that Khamzat Chimaev is out of UFC Saudi Arabia against Robert Whittaker. Instead, Ikram Aliskerov is the new contender stepping in against the former middleweight champion on short notice. Here is what Whittaker revealed about onboarding a new opponent at middleweight on such short notice:
BJPENN.com recently came out with an interview with Robert Whittaker. They discussed how Whittaker found out that the fight was off and what the onboarding process for a new opponent was like. As such, Whittaker revealed many fighters ducking the short-notice bout until Aliskerov stepped up.
There weren’t a lot of names thrown around, nobody would take it, it was too short notice. I understand the level of danger Ikram brings in. He is a guy coming in last minute, he was fighting this weekend, so he’s ready, he has nothing to lose, everything to gain, and he has a dangerous skillset.
Robert Whittaker via BJPenn.com
Khamzat Chimaev is a difficult opponent. He is undefeated in the UFC and was a three-time Swedish national champion wrestler. Needless to say, Whittaker put in a lot of effort to prepare for the ‘Chechen’. He reportedly spent three months working on a specific game plan and tailoring his fight camp to prepare for Chimaev’s fighting style.
However, ‘The Reaper’ was already in the country to main event the fight night card. There was no way he was going to go without a fight. He told BJPENN.com there was no thought of not fighting after Chimaev pulled out, stating that he wanted to be part of the UFC’s first card in Saudi Arabia. This is where his new opponent Ikram Aliskerov came in.
Ikram Aliskerov can achieve an active knockout streak record if he knocks out Robert Whittaker
Ikram Aliskerov is from a region that has earned a reputation for producing elite MMA talent. He is from Dagestan, Russia, home to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. Aliskerov was originally preparing for Antonio Trocoli in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 93.
Ikram Aliskerov with Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov (Image via Instagram)As of 2024, he boasts an impressive professional MMA record of 15 wins and one singular loss. Aliskerov made his debut through Dana White’s Contender Series and fought at UFC 288. All of his fights have ended two minutes into the first round.
Dana White described him as a ‘legit contender’ in only his third UFC fight. If he KOs Robert Whittaker, the Dagestani will enter a tie for the longest active UFC knockout streak. The UFC CEO revealed that no one would take the fight other than Ikram Aliskerov.
Not many fighters have an active knockout record streak, only a few fights into one’s UFC career. As such, Aliskerov’s short-notice risky matchup can secure a huge reward not only for ranking but also for achieving the active knockout record. This makes the UFC Saudi Arabia event all the more exciting.
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