Robert Whittaker proved why he is top of the division with a brutal stoppage against Ikram Aliskerov in the very first round of their contest at UFC Saudi Arabia.
The card, which played out for the first time in Saudi Arabia saw many a well known face compete.
Although originally scheduled to face Khamzat Chimaev, Whittaker ended up with a last minute change in opponent and faced the unranked Aliskerov. Less than two minutes into the contest Whittaker landed a monster uppercut and called an end to the contest.
In the co-main event, Alexander Volkov out struck Sergi Pavlovich to secure his first decision win since 2021.
Kelvin Gastelum got the win against Daniel Rodriguez but UFC CEO Dana White expressed his disappointment post fight with the contest being moved from Welterweight to Middleweight on short notice.
Shara Magomedov continued his unbeaten run with an impressive first round stoppage against Antonio Trocoli. The win also caught the attention of fellow rising star Bo Nickal, who took to social media post fight to express his desire to face Magomedov in the near future.
Volkan Oezdemir picked up one of the most devastating wins of the night when he landed numerous big shots to the head of Johnny Walker, rendering the Brazilian immediately unconscious.
Elsewhere on the card, Felipe Lima made the most of his last second call up to the UFC, with the former OKTAGON champion submitting Muhammad Naimov in the third round of their contest.
Find the full results below:
- Main Event: Robert Whittaker defeats Ikram Aliskerov by KO at 1:49 of Round 1
- Co-Main Event: Alexander Volkov defeats Sergei Pavlovich by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Kelvin Gastelum defeats Daniel Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Shara Magomedov defeats Antonio Trocoli by KO (strikes) at 2:27 of Round 3
- Volkan Oezdemir defeats Johnny Walker by KO at 2:28 of Round 1
- Nasrat Haqparast (29-28, 29-28) defeats Jared Gordon by split decision (29-28)
- Felipe Lima defeats Muhammad Naimov by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:15 of Round 3
- Rinat Fakhretdinov (29-28, 29-28) defeats Nicolas Dalby by split decision (29-28)
- Muin Gafurov defeats Kyung Ho Kang by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Magomed Gadzhiyasuov defeats Brendson Ribeiro by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
- ChangHo Lee (29-28, 29-28) defeats Xiao Long by split decision (29-28)
Listen to what Robert Whittaker had to say post fight, by watching his interview, below:
