Former UFC Champion Robert Whittaker Secures Dominant Win in Saudi Arabia

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker secured a resounding victory in Saudi Arabia as he delivered a first-round knockout against Ikram Aliskerov on Saturday.

Originally set to face rising contender David Du Plessis, Whittaker’s opponent changed to the unranked Aliskerov, who bravely stepped in to save the main event of the UFC’s debut event in Saudi Arabia.

Whittaker, 33, made swift work of the Russian fighter, 31, finishing the bout within two minutes in Riyadh with a relentless onslaught of strikes.

The Australian landed a powerful overhand right that rocked Aliskerov, following it up with precise jabs and a grazing head kick, culminating in a fight-ending uppercut against the fence.

Whittaker, who had faced recent setbacks, including a loss to David Du Plessis, has now secured back-to-back victories following wins over Aliskerov and Brazilian fighter David Du Plessis.

Reflecting on his career, Whittaker’s only recent defeats have come against the reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya from New Zealand, highlighting the competitive nature of the 185-pound division.

Adesanya clinched the belt from Whittaker in 2019 with a knockout victory and successfully defended it in a closely contested rematch in 2022. Adesanya later lost and regained the title, before losing it again, setting up a high-profile re-match against Africa‘s Adesanya this coming August.