In one of his most impressive performances to date, Robert Whittaker achieves a victory over Ikram Aliskerov via first-round knockout. Originally set to face Khamzat Chimaev, Whittaker found a new opponent in Aliskerov on less than two weeks’ notice after Chimaev was forced to pull out due to illness. On his walk to the cage, Whittaker exuded a ferocious look of determination, scarcely taking his eyes from Aliskerov as the two waited for the fight to begin. After a brief but intense striking exchange, Whittaker capitalized with a devastating right hand, wobbling Aliskerov before finishing him with an uppercut. Tonight’s performance was yet another showcase of both Whittaker’s precision and his power — along with a statement that he belongs at the very top of the Middleweight division.
With his impressive win tonight, along with Sean Strickland’s win at UFC 302, MMA fans are already clamoring for a title-eliminator matchup between the two fighters. Whether or not the UFC decides to pursue this matchup, Whittaker has proved tonight that he will fight anyone, anywhere.
“I told you, I told everybody, I’m the bogeyman,” Whittaker said during his post-fight speech. “I’m the best in the world, and I’m the most dangerous matchup in the division.”
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In the co-main event, No. 5 Alexander Volkov displayed a dominant performance over No. 3 ranked Sergei Pavlovich, securing a win via unanimous decision. Prior to his previous fight against current Interim Champion Tom Aspinall, Pavlovich boasted a six-fight win streak, all coming by way of first-round knockout. However, Pavlovich struggled in closing the distance against Volkov, who was able to out-point him over the course of three rounds.
Tonight’s win over Pavlovich puts Alexander Volkov on a four-fight winning streak, and potentially within arm’s reach of a shot at the Heavyweight title. Depending on how the current championship situation plays out, Volkov could find himself fighting for the title sooner rather than later.
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Other notable wins include Volkan Oezdemir and Sharaputdin Magomedov, who both secured knockout wins over their respective opponents. Next week, the UFC returns to Las Vegas for International Fight Week and UFC 303. In what was to be the return of Conor Mcgregor, the PPV will now be headlined by Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira in a rematch against No. 1 ranked, Jiri Procházka.