Ikram Aliserov is about to enter the octagon for the most significant fight of his professional MMA career. The Russian stepped in to replace Khamzat Chimaev on short notice for his fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia. Aliserov said that he spoke with Hall of Famer, Khabib Nurmagomedov before the fight.
In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, Ikram Aliserov revealed that after taking the fight he called Khabib Nurmagomedov. The 31-year-old mentioned that the ’Eagle’ suggested he take this fight very seriously and fly to Saudi Arabia in order to get acclimatized. Aliserov also talked about Nurmagomedov giving him some tips about fighting Whittaker on short notice.
After I took the fight I called Khabib. He said ‘You can’t miss these chances, you have to fly here and sweat for 2-3 days. We discussed(the fight) Pay attention because he’s a striker, be attentive and everything will work out.Â
Ikram Aliserov via Red Corner MMA YouTube channelÂ
The Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker fight had incredible hype given the popularity of the ‘Borz’ in the Middle East. However, the Chechen had to pull out after he got violently ill during his training camp. Whittaker, on the other hand, didn’t object and went with UFC’s decision to make him fight Ikram Aliserov.Â
Aliserov was previously expected to co-main event UFC Vegas 93, but the stakes have now risen. The fighter earned his way into the UFC by winning Dana White‘s contender series. The combat sambo expert has two wins in the promotions, both being violent finishes. On top of that, Aliserov has a tremendous ground game and has trained with the likes of Nurmagomedov.
Ikram Aliserov talks about wrestling with Khabib NurmagomedovÂ
After his retirement from the UFC in 2021, Khabib Nurmagomedov has spent most of his time training and helping his teammates. In the process, he has coached Islam Makhachev to become the reigning UFC lightweight champion. Although Nurmagomedov has no plans to make his comeback, the legend has not forgotten how to fight.Â
Ikram Aliserov with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev (via X)
Ikram Aliserov in an interview with Smesh Bros talked about wrestling with Khabib Nurmagomedov and complemented the retired fighter’s incredible pressure. According to Aliserov, they wrestled for 18 minutes and Nurmagomedov absolutely destroyed him all the time.
No one compares to Khabib in terms of wrestling. Few people have such a strong pace and pressure. Just imagine wrestling for 18 minutes without stopping. Khabib took me to deep waters.Â
Ikram Aliserov via Smesh Bros
During his prime, Khabib Nurmagomedov was known for giving his opponents the hardest time and beating them the worst way possible. Nurmagomedov has often talked about making his opponents tired initially and then finishing them with ground-and-pound. Nurmagomedov was one of the most dominant fighters to ever step into the octagon and has inspired many young fighters to aim for greatness.
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