In the main event, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will face rising contender Ikram Aliskerov. whittaker is coming. Today we will discuss about Robert Whittaker vs Ikram Aliskerov Winners: Rankings,wikipedia.
Robert Whittaker vs Ikram Aliskerov Winners: Rankings,wikipedia
UFC Saudi Arabia is in the books. The milestone event was the UFC’s first visit to the Middle-Eastern country and was watched by many.
The event took place on 22 June at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh and featured many local favorite fighters from the Middle East and Caucasian region.
Despite being plagued by last minute bout cancellations and opponent changes, the card successfully delivered good and entertaining bouts. So let’s recap the UFC Saudi Arabia event and check out the full results.
In the main event, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker took on Dagestan’s Ikram Aliskerov in a short-notice fight. Whittaker’s original opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a serious health issue less than two weeks earlier.
Whittaker put his title aspirations and the No. 3 spot in the rankings on hold in a high-risk, low-reward matchup against the unranked and relatively unknown but highly skilled Aliskerov.
Despite perceived skill similarity, Aliskarov had little to offer the former champion on the feet. After an initial feeling-out process, Whittaker shocked Aliskerov with an overhand right and proceeded to strike as the Dagestani fighter struggled to regain composure.
After some follow-up strikes and a head-kick attempt against the cage, ‘The Reaper’ knocked Aliskerov down with an uppercut and a first-round knockout.
In the co-headlining bout, elite heavyweight contenders and former teammates, Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich battled to advance their quest for the undisputed title. Heading into the event, both men displayed a sense of respect and camaraderie towards each other.
However, there was no stopping the Octagon as they remained committed to the goal.
Both men began to adopt a cautious stance, trying to locate each other. Volkov, who admitted to being afraid of Pavlovich’s power in training, tried to keep him away by kicking to the body and legs. defensive mind.
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Pavlovich, who had never advanced beyond the first round in his UFC career, struggled with range in round 2 as Volkov defended deftly and blocked a single-strike burst. Pavlovich had the most success in Round 3 when both fighters opened up and engaged in a heated exchange of blows.
However, ‘Drago’ regained his composure and resumed the fight with technical striking to earn a unanimous decision victory.
The win extended Volkov’s winning streak to four, the longest among the top five heavyweights at the moment.
Kelvin Gastelum continued to struggle on the scales in Riyadh. Originally scheduled for welterweight, his main card fight against Daniel Rodriguez took place at middleweight because Gastelum could not make the required weight cut.
It appeared that the effect of the weight change negatively affected Rodriguez’s chances as Gastelum looked to be the bigger fighter in the cage. Gastelum played the aggressor from the opening bell while ‘D-Rod’ tried to keep him on the receiving end of the jab.
In the main event, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will face rising contender Ikram Aliskarov. Whittaker is coming off a thrilling decision win over Paulo Costa, while Aliskarov looks to move to 3-0 to start his UFC career.
The co-main event saw top contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov face off in a heavyweight contest.
See UFC Saudi Arabia results below.
MMA Fighting has UFC Saudi Arabia results for the Whittaker vs. Aliskerov fight card, a live blog for the main event and more from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday afternoon.
wikipedia
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight sluggers Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskarov go to battle live on ABC inside the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia tonight (Sat. June 22, 2024). In a brilliant performance, Whittaker stopped his opponent in just a few minutes.
Both men were ready to fight by keeping their distance. Aliskerov aimed to land some kicks, while Whittaker was sliding forward behind his jab. A pair landed, then Whittaker topped it off with a heavy right hand that landed perfectly. Aliskerov hit the floor and came back up, but the Australian was in a state of destruction.
Whittaker tried to follow up with a high kick that missed. As Aliskerov returned to the fence, Whittaker peppered him with power shots, including a brutal uppercut that sent Aliskerov to the floor again. Whittaker wanted a walk-off finish, but instead a few more punches sealed the deal.
“Bobby Knuckles” picked up his first knockout win since 2017 and proved himself to be a class above his opponent here. Whittaker showcased his skills against a dangerous and rising star.
He’s still at the top of his game, and after such an awesome knockout he should be considered an immediate title contender. He’s now won two in a row, and he’s really as good as any middleweight on the roster.
