The promotion’s debut in the Kingdom might have been an even bigger night for Magomedov (13-0), were it not for a revolving door of would-be opponents pulling out of the fight: Ihor Poteiria and Joilton Lutterbach were both matched up with the Dagestani in Saudi Arabia, before newcomer Antonio Trócoli finally stuck.

“Honestly I was very frustrated because the opponents would keep getting pulled out for multiple reasons,” Magomedov told Cageside Press recently. “But I’m thankful I got an opponent, I got a fight, and I had this performance. I want to thank my manager Ali and the entire UFC crew for finding me an opponent and keeping this fight intact.”

Shara Bullet is notable as the rare Dagestani fighter who forgoes wrestling and instead relies on a wrestling-heavy approach. And it doesn’t seem he’ll be straying from that game plan.

“Hey, I’m not planning on changing my style any time soon. Let them keep wrestling with me, they’re going to keep catching these elbows and my knees, or high kicks, whatever,” Magomedov said, asked if there was any pressure throughout his career to take the more traditional path. “They can try, but I’m not going to change my style. I’ll be striking. I am a striker, and we’re going to be striking.”

Magomedov also gave his pick for the upcoming Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya title fight. “Adesanya,” he stated, followed by simply “knockout” when asked how it would end.

Watch our full interview with Shara Bullet above.

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The UFC made its debut in the Kingdom in Riyadh on June 22, with a card headlined by Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov (stepping in to replace Khamzat Chimaev). The end came swiftly, with Whittaker finding the finish inside of the round.

No women fighting, however, is a rarity for the UFC these days, but with no female broadcasters either- nary a Megan Olivi or Laura Sanko in sight – many pointed to Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record on women’s equality as the culprit.

Per a report by Human Rights Watch, in Saudi Arabia “Women face systematic discrimination and are left exposed to domestic violence under the male guardianship system” which leaves them under the control of men from birth until death.

That said, Saudi Minister and Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Al-Shaikh, says he’s looking for women to compete the next time the promotion comes to down.

Speaking on the UFC Saudi Arabia broadcast on Saturday (h/t MMA Junkie), Al-Shaikh stated that “I know the UFC here has a lot of fans, but you see now, it’s changing my mind. I don’t think there’s a lot of fans like this, 12,000 until 1 a.m., and now I am asking Dana for the next card. We want to make it 30,000 here. We are waiting, and we want women also in the next fight.”

Women in action in Saudi Arabia would not be unprecedented – WWE, now a sibling of the UFC under the TKO Group banner, has frequented the Kingdom in recent years. In 2019, Natalya and Lacey Evans performed at that year’s Crown Jewel event, albeit while wearing bodysuits and t-shirts rather than traditional ring gear, as Saudi law dictates dressing “modestly.”

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It wasn’t to be. Chimaev, along with a host of other fighters, withdrew from the event due to numerous issues, from illness to visa problems to drug test failures. What was left was a good, very good, but not great line-up, one that turned out to be uneven in the end, though the main card for the most part showed out.

What’s next for the winning side of UFC Saudi Arabia, including ex-middleweight champ Robert Whittaker? It’s matchmaker time.

Robert Whittaker

The Reaper is back! With his first finish since 2017 Whittaker proved himself still a dangerous threat, and has now set up a number one contender fight opportunity for himself. The likely opponent? Sean Strickland. Strickland’s win over Paulo Costa, and Rob’s over Costa and Aliskerov, will put him on a collision course with the Aussie.

The fight will likely take place at the upcoming UFC 305 event in Australia, set to be headlined by champ Dricus Du Plessis vs former champ Israel Adesanya. With the history Rob and Sean both have with the headliners, and Whittaker’s popularity in the country, the fight has to happen there.

Whittaker’s Next Fight: Sean Strickland

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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

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The promotion’s debut in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was first pushed back, then hit with numerous injuries and other withdrawals – but ultimately, after something of a slow start to the preliminary card, entertained.

Among the big winners on the night, main event star Robert Whittaker. The former middleweight champ wasted no time whatsoever in dispatching short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov, in an instant reminder of just how easily “The Reaper” can harvest a soul. One minute, forty-nine seconds was all it took for Whittaker to finish the night, perhaps opening the door for his participation in UFC 305 in Perth, Australia this August.

In the meantime, an extra $50,000 is coming Whittaker’s way in the form of a Performance of the Night bonus. That was one of four, with Volkan Oezdemir also cashing in for a quick knockout of Johnny Walker. That makes back-to-back finishes for “No Time,” a former title challenger looking to secure a second shot at gold

With no Fight of the Night awarded at UFC Saudi Arabia, the remaining two bonuses instead went to newcomer Felipe Lima, for his third-round submission of Muhammad Naimov, and Shara Magomedov, who put away another debuting fighter, Antonio Trocoli.

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The five-round middleweight affair had originally featured ex-champ Whittaker opposite Khamzat Chimaev, but with Chimaev falling ill, it was Aliskerov, in just his third UFC fight, filling in.

A much less anticipated main event for the UFC‘s debut in Saudi Arabia, being honest. A huge opportunity for Aliskerov, however, to land himself on the map.

Unfortunately for Aliskerov, it just wasn’t to be. Early on in Saturday’s main event, Whittaker connected, and hurt Aliskerov badly. Whittaker, smelling blood, went on the hunt, firing a head kick then letting his hands fly. A right uppercut then dropped Ikram, turning out the lights and ending the fight in a heartbeat.

In case you had any questions, Robert Whittaker is still very much a threat at 185lbs, not yet ready to give way to the division’s younger generation. With the win, he may just turn around in a couple of months and serve as a back-up for the Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya title fight in his native Australia, an opportunity “The Reaper” has said he would be open to.

Official Result: Robert Whittaker def. Ikram Aliskerov by KO, Round 1, 1:49

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Although controversy followed the fights announcement because the pair are friends and training partners who did not want to fight, the bout still went down. Pavlovich was coming off his first loss in five years in his interim title bout in 2023, while Volkov had won three in a row by finish, bringing his UFC record to 11-4, though it would improve even more after outdueling Sergei.

Pavlovich came out working behind his lead hand while he felt out the range, while the taller kickboxer Volkov kicked and jabbed, staying long. The striking stayed fairly even without either monstrous man being hurt bad for the duration of the first round, though the height and long kicks of Volkov helped him land slightly more strikes as Pavlovich tried to pressure him.

Sergei had to find a way to consistently get inside on Volkov in round two, however Alexander was able to slow the pace down as his hulk of an opponent got slowly more tired. Both legs, from both stances, controlled the distance between them with a wide variety of kicks: front, side, oblique, roundhouse, and leg kicks. Pavlovich did land his biggest shot yet with about a minute left, but it was likely not enough to steal him the round.

The final round saw both fighters slow down another level as their huge bodies grew tired. Pavlovich had spurts when he went from it, but with his unvaried striking he often hit more of Volkov’s high guard than his actual head or body. Sergei had more success than in previous rounds, as ‘Drago’ played more of a defensive strategy with his presumed two round lead. Still, Pavlovich ran into the jab a lot which bloodied his already red-masked face even more. They swung to the bell to end the bout, as many other fighters have lately. Sergei landed a hook but Volkov half-landed a head kick followed by a hook as well before the horn sounded.

After the fight, during the commercial break, Pavlovich apparently pushed his former friend Volkov in anger when Alexander went to embrace him, sparking confusion.

It seemed Volkov had won the fight after three hard-fought rounds, but the bout had been close enough that some tension pervaded the arena as the decision awaited. He ended up winning on all scorecards, and then explained that he was not sure why Pavlovich pushed him in anger immediately after the fight, as the two had been friends before.

Official Result: Alexander Volkov def. Sergei Pavlovich by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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The now-middleweight contest found Gastelum with just one win in his last four, while opponent Daniel Rodriguez had dropped two straight.

The fight began with the two fighters engaged immediately in the center of the octagon. D-Rod began to move around on the outside and popped out the jab. Kelvin caught a kick from Rodriguez who momentarily went to the ground. Both men began to box on the feet trying to find their respective ranges. Gastelum showed off some good head movement while looking for the jab-cross combination. About midway thru the round and Kelvin ripped a punch to the body and a shot to the head, before again connecting to the head with an overhand. D-Rod was still using lateral movement, but he was coming up a little short on some of his punches.

With about 90 seconds left in the round, Gastelum landed a flurry of punches up against the cage. Daniel responded with landing a boxing flurry of his own in the center of the octagon. With seconds left in the round, Kelvin had Rodriguez cornered against the cage and was looking to land a big overhand left. Daniel defended himself well and returned with a few shots of his own before the round ended.

To open the second round, Kelvin immediately landed a leg kick as Daniel moved around throwing his jab. Gastelum ate a few punches and slipped a few punches continuing to move towards his opponent. Daniel snapped Kelvin’s head back with a shot as Gastelum continued to march forward. Rodriguez started to land his jab a little more at will and followed it up with a cross. Kelvin landed a well-timed double leg takedown, but Daniel was able to return to his feet and absorbed minimal damage.

Rodriguez was throwing good punch combinations and switched between targeting the body and head of Gastelum. With about a minute left in the round, Gastelum landed a nice leg kick followed up by a punch that snapped Daniel’s head back. Daniel was able to come right back and land some good short counters on his opponent. In the literal final second of the round, Kelvin was able to land an easy takedown.

In the opening seconds of the final round, Kelvin looked quick and springy on his feet, as he moved in and out of range. Rodriguez was able to land a few shots but looked a tad bit slower. Gastelum kept moving in an out of range and landed the leg kick and blocked a lot of the punches that came back in his direction with his arms. Midway through the round, and Kelvin pressured his opponent to the cage and landed a powerful takedown. Gastelum landed in side-control, smothering his opponent and landing short strikes. Kelvin moved to modified mount and landed some more powerful strikes before D-Rod kicked him off with about 30 seconds left to go. It was short lived, as Gastelum was able to successfully time another double leg takedown. Gastelum landed ground and pound in as the final seconds of the fight ticked away.

In his post-fight interview Gastelum Kelvin addressed ‘the elephant in the room’,  saying “I’m sorry what happened this week is unacceptable.” He want on to add that “I will be better,” emotionally apologizing to fans, Daniel Rodriguez and UFC brass while acknowledging that missing weight has been a reoccurring problem for him.

Official Result: Kelvin Gastelum def. Daniel Rodriguez by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

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In a curious turn of events, Trocoli had been scheduled to face Ikram Aliskerov a week earlier. However, with Ihor Poteria out and replacement Jailton Lutterbach flagged for a failed drug test, Trocoli stepped in, having lost opponent Aliskerov to the UFC Saudi Arabia main event, where he faced Robert Whittaker.

Trocoli went right after Shara “Bullet” in this main card middleweight match-up, throwing hands with Magomedov up against the fence. He then clinched up, looking to use his power to get the fight down while mixing in right hands. Try as he might, however, Trocoli could not dump Magomedov, who showed some impressive balance, using one leg to block the takedown. Having noticed Trocoli grappling the fence, ref Marc Goddard took the position away, restarting the action at center following a stern warning.

Magomedov, off the restart, went high, then low twice his his kicks. He added a question mark kick and oblique kick, keeping Trocoli guessing. Trocoli let his hands to again; Shara answered with a left. Another clinch saw Trocoli again looking for a takedown, but again, Magomedov defended, going to one knee only briefly.

The kicking attacks continued from Shara Magomedov in round two; he added in a spinning back fist. Trocoli looked to clinch about a minute in, but couldn’t hang onto it. More kicks from Magomedov, lots of back-and-forth, and then, in the final minute of the round, Shara took advantage of a fence grab. The ref waved his finger, but didn’t take a point or take away the position. In the dying seconds of the frame, Shara Magomedov landed a head kick that was blocked.

Round three played out on the feet early on, with Magomedov flashing a front kick that nearly did serious damage about 90 seconds in. Shara went back to his leg kicks, then landed a knee as Trocoli changed levels, and a right hand that hurt him badly. Shara, sensing the finish was near, unloaded with punches, to the body and up top. Antonio Trocoli dropped down off a hook, and that was the fight!

Official Result: Shara Magomedov def. Antonio Trocoli by KO, Round 3, 2:27

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Walker’s last two fights had come opposite Magomed Ankalaev, with a No Contest in the pair’s initial meeting, then a knockout loss in the do-over. Oezdemir, meanwhile, was a former UFC title challenger with wins over Bogdan Guskov and Paul Craig sandwiching a loss to Nikita Krylov.

The outcome wasn’t much better for Johnny Walker on Saturday.

To start the fight Walker landed a couple teeps to the body and a few kicks to the legs. Volkan returned with a leg kick of his own, wadding into punching range ominously, hands held high. Walker continued to land leg kicks and teeps, staying light and mobile, as Volkan also threw some kicks targeting the legs.

About 90 seconds into the fight Oezdemir began to really open up with his hands. Oezdemir threw beautiful combos that began with punches to the body, and then targeting the head, before he landed a huge left hook that dropped Johnny Walker. Walker was able to return to his feet throwing a wild jumping knee and lost his footing. Volkan was able to corral his opponent, and expertly slipped a punch from Johnny and countered with a right hook that had Walker out. Volkan threw an extra punch on his opponent as he was near the ground, and rendered Walker completely stiff, unconscious.

Oezdemir takes out Walker in Round 1! 😱

[ #UFCSaudiArabia | #RiyadhSeason ] pic.twitter.com/RoujrV410t

— UFC (@ufc) June 22, 2024

After the victory, Volkan Oezdemir targeted a couple of former champs in Jan Blachowicz and Jamahal Hill. “My only direction is the top, guys. The belt is my destination now,” the Swiss light heavyweight exclaimed.

Official Result: Volkan Oezdemir def. Johnny Walker by KO, Round 1, 2:28

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