On June 22nd, the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, will host its first UFC Fight Night event as a historic first. The UFC on ABC 6 thus will see a top-bill middleweight bout between former champion Robert Whittaker and short-notice opponent Ikram Aliskerov.
UFC on ABC 6 had a major shake-up, with Khamzat Chimaev pulling out of the supposed title eliminator due to sudden illness. Ikram Aliskerov stepped in on short notice to fight ‘The Reaper.’ Whittaker’s fight with the Chechen ‘Borz’ had the earmark of an exciting clash. Does this one?
Opportunities are good. Missed opportunities are better drivers. Robert Whittaker is now one step removed from undisputed gold with the welterweight divisional “Boogeyman” MIA. So, he’d be more than driven to give it his all and go on the hunt for the title. Meanwhile, the Russian challenger headlines his first UFC main event. So he won’t be holding back as well.
Here’s a breakdown of why this can prove more exciting than Chimaev’s original appearance.
Will the real BORZ please stand up?
Would Chimaev have been the all-around optimal choice?
What’s a ‘Borz’? From the local folklores of the villages in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, the name Borz (Борз), means “wolf.” The most prolific and fierce hunter known in the locale. It’s also an umbrella term applied to all improvised submachine guns produced during yesteryears. When Khamzat Chimaev first made his mark under the banner, he was characteristically famous for his violent short-fire bursts of strikings and takedowns.
Khamzat Chimaev out of UFC on ABC 6 could be a good thing (Source: heavy.com/UFC.go.com)The freestyle wrestler summed up a record-breaking three-win streak UFC career debut within just 66 days. His “son of a gun” performance had pundits and matchmakers billing him against the uppermost echelons of the opponent from the get-go. Then-unranked Nate Diaz was set as his opponent for UFC 279’s main event. However, he was over 7.5 lbs, the official weight limit.
Khamzat ‘Borz’ Chimaev has had issues ever since. He’d come over the limits yet again. Despite electric output, he’d often struggle to find a steady pace. Chimaev defeated Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 and got the unanimous nod (29-28, 29-28, 29-28); their scrap was one for the books. But Burns rocked the 30-year-old’s hype train substantially. More to it, he’d later overexert himself and gas out against Kamaru Usman in yet another win.
A Consistent Reaping
Meanwhile, ‘The Reaper’ is more consistent with his output, good or bad. Barring Nigerian Zealander Israel Adesanya, he is the only New Zealand-born fighter to win a championship gold. Whittaker is 13-3 since moving up to the 185-pound mark in November 2014. Just behind Anderson Silva [12], his eight fight-night bonuses for UFC middleweight bouts are tied with Adesanya and Yoel Romero for second-most in divisional history.
‘The Reaper’ has been a constant force within the division (Source: gq.com.au/X)The former UFC middleweight titleholder is an all-around expert with black belts in Hapkido and karate. Despite high-striking kickboxing mettle against strikers like, say, Paulo Costa, he is also historically better against grapplers and wrestlers. His scraps against Romero were handsomely rewarding. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has ten knockout victories and six first-round finishes. Robert Whittaker’s place in the equation is never in doubt.
The Quiet Dagestani
Ikram Aliskerov, on the other hand, went pro in 2012 and has kept up quite a good pace. Aliskerov (15-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) battered veteran Phil Hawes in his promotional debut in May 2023. He can credit his flattening force to having naturally heavy-handed, accurate jabs and being superior in the clinch. He is a World and European Sambo world champion, after all.
Ikram Aliskerov might just have the skills to match up to Robert Whittaker (Source: complex.com/X)‘The Queit Dagestani’ also boasts the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov lineage, having won the Sambo World Cup championship under the tutelage. He touts a good mix of 6 knockout victories (7 first-round finishers) and five submission wins. Unlike Chimaev, he has defensive transitional grappling. He shows a better sense of range and spatial management. More to it, even non-domestic fans consider him the Dagestani version of “People’s Champ” (aka the Smiling uncommon Dagestani) due to his good mix of KO power and wrestle-heavy attire.
Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov breakdown: Inconsistent consistencies
Jabber-jobber
Robert Whittaker has proven his mastery through multiple traditional martial arts bases. His fluid economy of footwork and spatial management work wonders. Coming forward or off the counter, the Zealander makes good use of rapid blitzes and switch stances against a variety of opponents.
A low-handed Robert Whittaker could be vulnerable to the Dagestani’s A-game (Source: Instagram)The 33-year-old orthodox controls space well, deploying ranged kicks. His array of karate and kickboxing skills are always on full display, along with his definitive striking. He often maintains dominance through rear-legged front kicks and high kicks to check distance. Contrarily, he leaves his heavy hands hanging rather than backing them up. His low-handed approach is often taxing and turns into a bloodbath. That could be his undoing at UFC on ABC 6.
Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov breakdown: Ground Party
The clinch sinch
Aliskerov has steadily improved his striking despite his extensive Combat Sambo background. For those paying attention, he attaches kicks or knees to his striking combos well from the lead side. He uses full deployment of such striking in stride or even from the clinch.
Robert Whittaker able to counter Ikram Aliskerov’s offerings off the lead side (Source: Instagram/X)Like many high-level operators out of Dagestan, Ikram Aliskerov tends to take it to the ground. However, the opponent from Team Gracie Jiu-jitsu Smeaton Grange (AU) has solid wrestling awareness. Unlike Costa’s recent running against Sean Strickland at UFC 302, Whittaker has good space management. Instead of reeling away, he subsequently circles out to his opponent’s weak side. Which lets him defend against reshoots and takedown attempts from wrestlers/grapplers.
Verdict
UFC on ABC 6’s Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov lineup provides an honest exchange of all-around mettle than the Chechen “Boogeyman” could have. Khamzat Chimaev is pehnomenal. But the freestyle wrestler has a signature outburst style of fighting that tires him out. Whereas Whittaker’s persistence to work his limbs judicially and thwart takedown attempts against the Russian’s strong balance of clinch and effective jab at the range, is a good combo.
UFC on ABC 6: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov can prove more interesting than the original affair (Source: es.agfight.com/X)It’s a better combo, even. UFC on ABC 6 Early and Official Ceremonial weigh-ins are in the books now. As of now, the weigh-ins took place at the UFC Host Hotel in Riyadh (at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).), the spot for Saturday’s event (ABC/ESPN+). Both fighters have made weight and are ready to battle. Whichever way it goes, it has the potential to prove quite a scrap.
Tale of the Tape: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov
Main card feature headliner (ABC/ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)
| Robert Whittaker | Ikram Aliskerov | |
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| Fight statistics (as of writing this) | 25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC | 15-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC |
| Past five records | 3-2 | 5-0 |
| Reach | 73.5″ | 76″ |
| Stance/striking style | Orthodox/kickboxing | Orthodox/Sambo/kickboxing |
| Strikes landed per minute | 4.57 | 8.24 |
| Strike accuracy | 45.83% | 65.43% |
| Takedown Avg. – Average | 0.81 | 2.33 |
| Takedown accuracy | 38.10% | 33.33% |
| Sub. Avg. – Average Submissions Attempted per 15 minutes | 0.00 | 2.33 |
| Early Fighter Odds (via FanDuel, as of 06.17.24) | -154 favorite (early prediction, pick to win inside distance in late rounds) | +120 underdog |
UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov broadcasts live on ABC and streams on ESPN+.
