UFC Saudi Arabia Results: Highlights and Takeaways from the Whittaker vs. Aliskerov Event

 UFC Saudi Arabia Results: Highlights and Takeaways from the Whittaker vs. Aliskerov Event

### UFC Saudi Arabia Recap: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov at Kingdom Arena

Tonight, the UFC hosted an exciting fight card at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, broadcasted on ABC. The main event featured former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker taking on late replacement Ikram Aliskerov in a 185-pound contest. The co-headliner saw top-five ranked heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov clash in a highly anticipated matchup.

Initially, Whittaker was set to face Khamzat Chimaev, but an illness forced Chimaev to withdraw. Aliskerov, originally scheduled to fight at UFC Vegas 93, stepped in on short notice for this Saudi Arabia event.

Whittaker, ranked No. 3 in the UFC middleweight rankings, made quick work of the unranked Aliskerov, securing a knockout victory in the first round. This win improved Whittaker's record to 26-7. Despite the close odds and the hype surrounding Aliskerov, who boasted a 2-0 UFC record with two first-round knockouts, Whittaker remained unfazed and executed his game plan flawlessly.see more