Athletes
Ikram Aliskerov’s Whirlwind Week
Promising Middleweight Discusses Chaotic Events That Landed Him Opposite Robert Whittaker This Weekend In Saudi Arabia
Early last week, Ikram Aliskerov strolled into the UFC APEX, signed a stack of posters featuring Alex Perez and Tatsuro Taira, and went about the usual business of getting ready to step into the Octagon and compete on Saturday evening.
He sat down with media to discuss his impending clash with Antonio Trocoli, who was tabbed to replace Andre Muniz when the Brazilian veteran suffered a foot injury, and how the string of opponent changes and fight cancellations he’s dealt with throughout his brief, but impressive UFC tenure was getting to be a little bit annoying, though completely understandable.
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He talked about his desire to deliver another strong performance, register another quick stoppage, and then hopefully land himself an opportunity to face someone in the Top 10.
And then his phone rang.
“It’s very surreal for me because you’re not usually having two fight weeks in a row,” Aliskerov said on Tuesday, just a few days out from his main event pairing with Robert Whittaker at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “I feel a little weird signing posters with my name on the main event. It’s a little weird, but good.”
For the first time in his UFC run, Aliskerov is operating on the other side of a late opponent change, having been pulled from his bout with Trocoli and moved into Saturday’s pairing with Whittaker after Khamzat Chimaev was forced from the contest late last week.
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“To be honest, it’s a little annoying, but obviously good,” he said with a wry smile when asked about serving as a replacement fighter this weekend opposite the former middleweight champion. “I’m used to it because it’s the third opponent in two weeks, so it’s not a big deal for me anymore.”
The constant change may not be anything that unnerves him any longer, but the opportunity is one that Aliskerov takes very seriously, understanding that this matchup with Whittaker is a massive showcase moment.
This is the type of fighter Aliskerov has been chasing and the “top of the wish list” kind of matchup he could have hoped for had he remained on last weekend’s card and ran through Trocoli the way he did Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves in his first two appearances. It’s the kind of instant measuring stick moment that he briefly appeared to be getting after his debut win, when he was momentarily connected to a fight with Paulo Costa before that matchup was scrapped.
Whittaker is the measuring stick in the middleweight division — a former champion whose only losses in the 185-pound weight class have come to the two men that will be battling for championship gold at UFC 305 in Perth later this summer: current titleholder Dricus Du Plessis and former champ Israel Adesanya.
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He is the standard by which all contenders are measured, as sharing the Octagon with “The Reaper” has long felt like an audition for the role of title challenger, and while losing to Whittaker hasn’t precluded competitors from still going on to fight for UFC gold, how things play out becomes a big part of how fans and observers see those athletes, rate those athletes, and their chances of going on to potentially claim the middleweight title.
“As soon as I got offered this fight, I said yes without any doubts because Rob Whittaker is a legend,” Aliskerov said, still unable to wipe the smile off his face. “Back home in Dagestan, a lot of people respect him because of his fighting style, but also his behavior, his media behavior.
"I respect him a lot and it’s my dream fight.”
Dream fights usually don’t come together in this manner, but the whirlwind nature of the last week might actually be a bit of a benefit for Aliskerov as he readies for his first UFC main event.
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As surreal as signing posters where his name and likeness take up half of the space may be, the short-notice nature of this matchup means that he hasn’t had time to get all in his head about facing the former champion, competing in a five-round main event, and what it all could mean for him from a career perspective.
In the last few days, he’s gone from wanting to turn in another dominant effort against Trocoli to readying to face Whittaker, all while flying from Las Vegas to Saudi Arabia and going through his second round of Fight Week-related obligations in seven days.
It’s enough to do your head in if you stop and think about it all, and for now, Aliskerov is avoiding doing that. Instead, he’s keeping it as simple as possible.
“I’m trying to get rid of all thoughts in my head,” admitted the talented Dana White’s Contender Series graduate. “I have a goal, I have a fight, and I have an opponent; that’s it.
“If you start to over-think, it will not be good for you. For me, it’s just that simple.
“To be honest, it’s very hard to wrap my head around what has been going on the last two or three days, so I’m not really thinking about any significance in a matter of place,” he added. “But for me, the No. 1 goal is to finish the fight and get the W.”
Despite how chaotic the last seven days have been, one thing Aliskerov is completely clear on is the magnitude of this matchup and what Whittaker brings to the table, and the only thing he’s promising is to do his best to make things exciting on Saturday.
“Rob Whittaker is good everywhere — he’s a good wrestler, grappler, striker — but I’m not worse than him,” he said, the smile ceding ground to a more serious look for the first time. “I can guarantee you one thing: it won’t be a boring fight; I will fight until the end.
“It will definitely be a big step for me in this division. (With a win) I will ask for a No. 1 contender fight.”
Zac Pacleb contributed to this story.
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov took place live from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 22, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!