UFC Saudi Arabia was an action-packed main card where three of the five fights ended in thrilling finishes on the feet. In the middleweight main event, Robert Whittaker made quick work of high-level prospect, Ikram Aliskerov. Several veterans need to reevaluate where they fit into the division and a couple of prospects need realistic next steps after UFC Saudi Arabia.
Ikram Aliskerov
Ikram Aliskerov looked severely overmatched in his first-round loss to Robert Whittaker on Saturday night. Aliskerov was supposed to be fighting Antonio Trocoli on June 15th. Instead, Ikram stepped in on short notice to save UFC Saudi Arabia after Khamzat Chimaev was forced to withdraw from the main event.
Anthony Hernandez would be a great next fight for Aliskerov. ‘Fluffy’ is the #14 ranked UFC middleweight and a very dangerous fight. The 2018 Contender Series product, is on a 5-fight win streak, featuring four finishes. He’s got wins over guys like Brendan Allen, Jun Yong Park, Rodolfo Vieira, Edmen Shahbazyan and most recently, Roman Kopylov. Hernandez pulled out of his June 1st bout with Roman Dolidze due to a hand injury and Aliskerov has to recover from the stoppage Saturday, so maybe the timing could work as well.
Aliskerov’s next fight: Anthony Hernandez
