Robert Whittaker quickly defeated Ikram Aliskerov in under two minutes during the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia, marking his first win streak since 2021 and positioning himself as a potential backup fighter for the UFC 305 main event.
Robert Whittaker faced a daunting challenge on paper against the dangerous short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov. But “The Reaper” made it look almost effortless.
Whittaker clashed with Aliskerov in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Saudi Arabia card in Riyadh. He needed less than two minutes to dispatch the surging prospect. Whittaker was landing at will.
After a hard combination that badly hurt Aliskerov, Whittaker went for the kill. Eventually, he got it with a brutal uppercut that sent Aliskerov crashing to the canvas.
The official time of the stoppage? 1:49 of the opening stanza.
Whittaker now finds himself on his first win streak inside the octagon since a three-fight victory run between July 2020 and April 2021. The former champion kicked off 2024 with a unanimous decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 298 in February.
Following Saturday’s win, Whittaker said he’s ready to be the backup fighter for the UFC 305 main event. That bout features champion Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya on Aug. 17.
A slew of UFC fighters reacted to Whittaker’s victory, which you can see below.