Robert Whittaker ready for Israel Adesanya or Dricus du Plessis after stopping Ikram Aliskerov at UFC Saudi Arabia

Robert Whittaker finished Ikram Aliskerov at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.

Fight Night was the first to take place in Saudi Arabia, as Riyadh’s season has continued to host high-profile combat sports, having recently hosted the undisputed Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk clash, followed by the extravaganza Queensberry vs Matchroom 5v5.

Whittaker was scheduled to face undefeated fighter Khamzat Chimaev, but the latter withdrew due to illness. Instead, Ikram Aliskerov stepped in to allow the New Zealander to retain his starting place.

“Borz” last fought at UFC 294 in October last year, picking up a majority decision victory over Kamaru Usman.

Whittaker bounced back from a July 2023 loss to Dricus du Plessis with a decision win over Paulo Costa in February of this year.

For Aliskerov, he was fighting in the UFC for only the third time against a former champion and a victory would have affirmed his credibility in the franchise, but he stumbled in the first round with just over a minute left and “The Reaper” s has taken hold of him. instinctively down on his luck.

Whittaker recognized that he had shaken his opponent and followed up with a series of righties before connecting with a brutal uppercut before landing a few heavy lefts to earn a first-round victory.

Speaking after his victory, Whittaker said: “I told everyone I was the boogieman, I was the most dangerous man in the world for the division. I’m the best in the world, I fight anywhere, anytime. I will fight anyone.

“I told everyone in preparation for the fight that I would rely on my experience. I said I was the hunter, and that’s what I did.

When asked if he would be willing to replace either fighter if one of Israel Adesanya and Du Plessis dropped out of UFC 305, he replied: “I’m healthy, I’m plentiful, let’s go.”

The co-main event saw Sergei Pavlovich take on Alexander Volkov.

Pavlovich lost to Tom Aspinall last November at UFC 295 as they vied for the interim heavyweight title, while Volkov extended his winning streak to three by beating Tai Tuivasa in September in Sydney.

The two had shared training sessions in the past and talked about their shared history in preparation for the fight.

Both men are known for their explosive power, but they managed to get through the first round intact, in an opening exchange bested by Volkov, and it was Pavlovich who took the decision after three brutal rounds.

Tempers flared when Pavlovich shoved his opponent immediately after the bell, and Volkov secured the victory.

With Jon Jones still out of action, an interim heavyweight clash with Aspinall could be on the cards.

Volkan Oezdemir destroyed Johnny Walker when he tipped him, and while he briefly recovered, he was caught with a heavy right-hander before following up with another powerful shot before the referee intervened.

Shara Magomedov took on Antonio Trocoli as he looked to remain undefeated, but the favorite looked briefly in trouble in the second round as he held on to the ring to prevent the Brazilian from scoring a takedown.

The referee made a pass at him, then in the third round the kicks started to come as Magomedov switched from kicks to the legs to start hitting the head, and he followed up with a flurry of punches punches to bring a knockout and his second victory in the UFC.

Kelvin Gastelum fought hard against Daniel Rodriguez before both hands, and by showing initiative, he scored a decisive victory after missing weight in preparation.