Despite losing via quick knockout to Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia, Aliskerov isn’t second guessing his decision to accept the last-minute fight.
Ikram Aliskerov took a big risk this past weekend at UFC Saudi Arabia, stepping up into the main event against Robert Whittaker on one week’s notice. It didn’t work out for him: Whittaker was just too good on the feet and quickly showed why he’s still one of the best at 185 pounds with a KO win just 1:49 into the first round (watch the highlights here).
In a new statement on X (formerly Twitter), Aliskerov took the loss well.
“Alhamdulilla, no excuses,” he wrote. “I don’t regret anything. It was a big experience against one of the best in the sport. I’m young, I’ll work on my mistakes , learn and get back into business soon. Thank to everyone for support messages.”
“If I had refused I would have thought all my life, ‘If I had agreed to fight Whittaker, what would have happened? Who knows?’” Aliskerov said in a post-fight video. “We fighters, athletes, are ready for anything. But in the future we will take all risks into account and analyze everything.”
Alhamdulilla, no excuses. I don’t regret anything. It was a big experience against one of the best in the sport. I’m young, I’ll work on my mistakes , learn and get back into business soon.Thank to everyone for support messages.
— ikram_aliskerov (@ikram_aliskerov) June 23, 2024
“We are believers, we are Muslim, and we see everything as the will of the Almighty. Therefore it was meant to be this way. It all happened spontaneously, it turned out this was destined for us. Yes it is hard, but we look at everything positively.”
Aliskerov came into the UFC with an impressive 11-1 record — his only loss coming to Khamzat Chimaev back in 2019. He obliterated his Contender Series opponent in two minutes, and then won his next two UFC fights in two minutes as well. The promotion clearly saw the Russian fighter as another potential Chimaev-style destroyer, but there are levels to this and Ikram was clearly leveled up too quickly.
“He stepped up and took a big fight against one of the absolute best in the world,” UFC CEO Dana White said at the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press conference. “One of the best in the division of all time. I say it all the time that this is a business of opportunities. He took the opportunity, came in tonight and came up short.”
Ikram Aliskerov has put on a masterclass of how to handle a loss.
Bright future ahead. pic.twitter.com/Wi7iNRYqhw
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 23, 2024
“It’s not that Ikram doesn’t have the talent to be in there. He’s never been on this big stage before, this was his first time and I’m sure he felt it. Now he’s got this behind him, he’s done it, and he’s got to go back to the gym, work on some things, and he’s got this experience under his belt now.”
On the plus side, circumstances can’t get much tougher than this for Aliskerov. Sure, he had a full camp. But he also had to fly out to Las Vegas for his UFC Apex fight on June 15th, cut weight for that, then jump back on a plane to fly to Saudi Arabia, cut weight again, perform a ton of duties as the new main event for a major card, and then face Robert freakin’ Whittaker.
It’s about as far from a normal fight experience as one can get. So before we write Ikram Aliskerov off, let’s see how he does without all the distractions and craziness against someone who isn’t a living legend like Whittaker.