The UFC is heading to Saudi Arabia for the first time this weekend, with an exciting middleweight fight between former champion Robert Whittaker and rising star Ikram Aliskerov taking center stage at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Whittaker was originally set to face Khamzat Chimaev, but Aliskerov stepped in when Chimaev fell ill.
Aliskerov, a product of Dana White’s Contender Series, has been on a tear in the UFC, with wins over Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves. He sees this fight against Whittaker as a dream opportunity and is focused on the task at hand without overthinking it.
Whittaker, ranked No. 4 in the middleweight division, is coming off a win against Paulo Costa and has only suffered losses to top fighters like Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. He is favored to win against Aliskerov, but the rising star has also garnered significant support from fans.
In addition to the main event, there are other exciting matchups on the card. Russian heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov will face off, with Pavlovich looking to bounce back from a recent loss. Kelvin Gastelum will take on Daniel Rodriguez in a welterweight clash, while Muhammad Naimov and Felipe Lima will battle in what is expected to be a closely contested fight. Johnny Walker and Volkan Oezdemir will kick off the main card in a heavyweight showdown.
Overall, the UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia promises to deliver plenty of action and intrigue for fans around the world. Stay tuned for what should be an exciting night of fights in Riyadh.