Watch: Robert Whittaker KOs Ikram in the 1st round
The UFC is set to take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the main event, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will go up against late replacement Ikram Aliskerov in a 185-pound bout. The co-main event features a heavyweight clash between top-five ranked fighters Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov.
Aliskerov has a 2-0 record in the Octagon, with both wins coming by first-round knockout. Despite his impressive performances and Combat Sambo championship background, securing high-profile opponents has been challenging, resulting in Aliskerov often facing less notable Contender Series fighters. However, a twist of fate saw both Aliskerov’s and Whittaker’s original fights fall through around the same time, leading to this promising matchup.
As for Whittaker, the former champion is no stranger to facing formidable rising stars. The Australian fighter is eager to take on anyone who can bring him closer to another shot at the title.
Main Card:
- Robert Whittaker def. Ikram Aliskerov via KO (punches) (R1, 1:49)
- Alexander Volkov def. Sergei Pavlovich via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
- Kelvin Gastelum def. Daniel Rodriguez via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
- Shara Magomedov def. Antonio Trocoli via KO (punches) – Round 3, 2:27
- Volkan Oezdemir def. Johnny Walker via KO (punches) – Round 1, 2:28
Preliminary Card:
- Nasrat Haqparast def. Jared Gordon via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
- Felipe Lima def. Muhammad Naimov via submission (rear-naked choke) (R3, 1:15)
- Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Nicolas Dalby via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
- Muin Gafurov def. Kyung Ho Kang via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Magomed Gadzhiyasulov def. Brendson Ribeiro via majority decision (29-28 x2, 28-28)
- Chang Ho Lee def. Xiao Long via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
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