Ikram Aliskerov took an enormous danger this previous weekend at UFC Saudi Arabia, stepping up into the primary occasion towards Robert Whittaker on one week’s discover. It didn’t work out for him: Whittaker was simply too good on the toes and rapidly confirmed why he’s nonetheless top-of-the-line at 185 kilos with a KO win simply 1:49 into the primary spherical (watch the highlights right here).
In a brand new assertion on X (previously Twitter), Aliskerov took the loss nicely.
“Alhamdulilla, no excuses,” he wrote. “I don’t remorse something. It was an enormous expertise towards top-of-the-line within the sport. I’m younger, I’ll work on my errors , be taught and get again into enterprise quickly. Thank to everybody for assist messages.”
“If I had refused I might have thought all my life, ‘If I had agreed to combat Whittaker, what would have occurred? Who is aware of?’” Aliskerov stated in a post-fight video. “We fighters, athletes, are prepared for something. However sooner or later we are going to take all dangers into consideration and analyze all the pieces.”
Alhamdulilla, no excuses. I don’t remorse something. It was an enormous expertise towards top-of-the-line within the sport. I am younger, I will work on my errors , be taught and get again into enterprise quickly.Thank to everybody for assist messages.
— ikram_aliskerov (@ikram_aliskerov) June 23, 2024
“We’re believers, we’re Muslim, and we see all the pieces as the need of the Almighty. Due to this fact it was meant to be this fashion. All of it occurred spontaneously, it turned out this was destined for us. Sure it’s exhausting, however we have a look at all the pieces positively.”
Aliskerov got here into the UFC with a powerful 11-1 report — his solely loss coming to Khamzat Chimaev again in 2019. He obliterated his Contender Collection opponent in two minutes, after which gained his subsequent two UFC fights in two minutes as nicely. The promotion clearly noticed the Russian fighter as one other potential Chimaev-style destroyer, however there are ranges to this and Ikram was clearly leveled up too rapidly.
“He stepped up and took an enormous combat towards one of many best possible on the planet,” UFC CEO Dana White stated on the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press convention. “The most effective within the division of all time. I say it on a regular basis that this can be a enterprise of alternatives. He took the chance, got here in tonight and got here up brief.”
“It’s not that Ikram doesn’t have the expertise to be in there. He’s by no means been on this massive stage earlier than, this was his first time and I’m positive he felt it. Now he’s received this behind him, he’s executed it, and he’s received to return to the gymnasium, work on some issues, and he’s received this expertise below his belt now.”
On the plus aspect, circumstances can’t get a lot more durable than this for Aliskerov. Positive, he had a full camp. However he additionally needed to fly out to Las Vegas for his UFC Apex combat on June fifteenth, reduce weight for that, then bounce again on a aircraft to fly to Saudi Arabia, reduce weight once more, carry out a ton of duties as the brand new major occasion for a significant card, after which face Robert freakin’ Whittaker.
It’s about as removed from a traditional combat expertise as one can get. So earlier than we write Ikram Aliskerov off, let’s see how he does with out all of the distractions and craziness towards somebody who isn’t a dwelling legend like Whittaker.
