UFC Saudi Arabia's Robert Whittaker compares Ikram Aliskerov to Khamzat Chimaev: 'He may be more dangerous'

Robert Whittaker Not underestimated Ikram Aliskerov.

UFC Saudi Arabia is going to be a little different than originally planned. Unfortunately, half of the main events have been canceled. Khamzat Chimaev He fell ill and Aliskerov was called upon to take on the role at short notice.

The Whittaker-Chimaev bout was billed as the number one contender in the middleweight division and would have been the first ranked fight for the unbeaten “Bolz” (13-0), but the former champion would have to fend off Aliskerov, who is also a heavy favorite to win the title.

“My biggest focus was making the fight happen and getting the fight to the end,” Whittaker said at UFC Saudi Arabia media day (via MMA Fighting). “Right now, my biggest focus is beating Ikram.

“He's a very dangerous opponent,” he continued. “On paper, he might be even more dangerous. [than Chimaev] I say that because he's very well-rounded, but honestly, every match comes with a level of threat and danger that you have to deal with.”

The 31-year-old Aliskerov has been perfect in his 16-fight career except for a tough knockout loss to Chimaev prior to joining the UFC. Like Whittaker for Chimaev, this will be Aliskerov's first fight against a UFC-ranked middleweight fighter.

Although “The Reaper” has experience, he's not too worried about being thrust into a new main event role on short notice.

“To be honest with you, I'm not too worried about who I'm fighting,” Whittaker said. “I'm here to fight. I was in good shape and I was ready to go. This is how I provide for my family. Everybody knew I wanted to fight. I'm here, so I'm going to fight.”

“At this stage of camp, all the training is done,” he continued. “I'm in good shape, I'm strong, I'm sharp. All the skills that I've been working on for Chimaev, there's no wasted skills, no useless skills. A lot of them can be used in this fight, so all the training is done. I'm ready.”

LIVE! Stream UFC Saudi Arabia on ESPN+

Middleweight Mayhem! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to the KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday, June 8, 2024 for just the second time in the promotion's history and the first time in over 13 years that the event will feature a “fight night” themed event. The main event of UFC Louisville will feature the top ranked contenders in the middleweight division. Jared Cannonier (No. 4) and Nasrudin Imavov (No. 7) will be looking to get into the 185-pound title race with a key win. In the semifinals, he will face No. 14 seeded light heavyweight contender, Dominic ReyesBack in the litigation Dustin Jacobya fun 205-pound showdown.

Don't miss a second of the face-punching action!

Please remember translation: The entire fight will be broadcasted live, round by round, blow by blow. UFC Saudi Arabia Match card right hereStarting with ESPN/,ESPN+ The “Prelims” matches are scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM ET, followed by the remaining main card balance (ABC/ESPN+) 3pm ET.

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