Robert Whittaker finishes off in style. After some stellar matches at UFC Saudi Arabia, Bobby Knuckles knocked out Ikram Aliskerov with a brutal uppercut within 2 minutes of the first fight.
The main event did not last too long and Ikram Aliskerov could not even get going. It was Whittaker who put on the pressure early on and landed some beautiful combos on the feet. It all started with a headkick and Whittaker finished it off with a uppercut, which seems to be the kryptonite for Aliskerov.
The former UFC middleweight champion ended Ikram Aliskerov’s 7 fight winning streak. This was also the second loss of his MMA career after winning 15 fights. His first loss came against Khamzat Chimaev, who was supposed to main event UFC Saudi Arabia before he was hospitalized.
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Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev knocked out Ikram Aliskerov the same way
Coming into UFC Saudi Arabia, Ikram Aliskerov was being hailed as one of the biggest middleweight prospects. With 2 UFC wins, he was on his way to making a statement against the former middleweight champion. However, Ikram Aliskerov has a kryptonite that has cost him 2 losses in his career.
Back in 2019, Khamzat Chimaev knocked out Ikram Aliskerov in 1st round with a brutal uppercut. And now it’s Whittaker, who handed Aliskerov his second loss at UFC Saudi Arabia.
This KO loss is not a good look for Aliskerov, who is also a training partner of Khabib Nurmagomedov. The former lightweight champion had nothing but tall claims about the Dagestani middleweight before his fight against Robert Whittaker.
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Who should Robert Whittaker fight next?
There are speculations that Robert Whittaker might serve as the backup for the upcoming title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. Whittaker has fought both the middleweights. And it would certainly be exciting to see him fight for the title in Australia if anyone misses weight.
However, Whittaker should face the former middleweight champion, Sean Strickland next. Strickland is coming off a win against Paulo Costa in his last fight and waiting for the next shot at the title.
Both Whittaker and Strickland arguably deserve to fight for the title next. Whittaker took no damage against Ikram Aliskerov and it won’t be crazy to see Rob take on Strickland in a quick turnaround.
What do you think about this matchup? Can Whittaker overcome Sean Strickland, who dominated Adesanya?