Bonus Winners, Highlights and Scorecard

There are many levels to the sport of MMA, and Robert Whittaker sent that message to everyone in the UFC’s middleweight division in Saudi Arabia on Saturday afternoon.

You cannot bring a person here without any information and expect him to compete with me.

Whittaker wasted no time destroying short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia. Whittaker initially hurt Aliskerov with a straight right hand, but he eventually finished the deal with an uppercut and two follow-up punches before referee Marc Goddard stepped in to stop the fight.

Take a look at the finale:

Whittaker lost everything in this fight.

He was previously scheduled to face Khamzat Chimaev, but Chimaev withdrew from the bout last week due to food poisoning. Aliskerov, whose last loss came against Chimaev before both joined the UFC, was removed from the co-main event spot on the UFC Vegas 93 card last week and upgraded to a spot against Whittaker.

It didn’t take long to realize that the 31-year-old Russian boxer was out of his league. A promising and talented contender, Aliskerov could face another middleweight ranked outside the top 15 in his next bout.

Although he wasn’t ready for what he faced on Saturday, he still has plenty of potential to find success in this division in the future. Whittaker, who earned one of the Performance of the Night bonuses for his work, should remain secure as the No. 3 middleweight in the world.

He will likely want to try for the title in his next fight, and he will also likely say yes to a fight with Sean Strickland, with the winner getting a match against the winner of Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus du Plessis.

Many MMA outlets agree that a Whittaker-Strickland fight is the most logical and exciting next step for the division.

The Adesanya-Du Plessis bout is scheduled to take place at UFC 305 on August 17 in Perth, Australia.

Australian-born Whittaker has volunteered to be a potential replacement fighter for anyone in the main event, should someone need to be brought in. Whittaker has lost twice to Adesanya and once to Du Plessis, so staying behind Strickland makes sense.

Strickland defeated Adesanya earlier this year and lost his title to Du Plessis in a controversial split decision. Regardless of what comes next for Whittaker, he has set himself up for a momentous occasion in his next fight.

Alexander Volkov made the task easier for the salty Sergei Pavlovich

Veteran Alexander Volkov displayed his superior skills in a clash between two Russian former training partners.

Using his reach, precise jab, and well-timed side kicks, he not only scored points but also caused significant damage to his opponent’s face, leading to a decisive unanimous decision win.

After the fight, Volkov approached Pavlovich to show respect, but Pavlovich frustratedly pushed him away.

To keep an eye:

Volkov has won three fights in a row, and Pavlovich, who was once the best heavyweight contender in the UFC, has lost two in a row.

UFC Saudi Arabia Bonus Winners

POTN: Robert Whittaker, Shara Magomedov, Alexander Volkov and Felipe Lima

Whittaker deserved his bonus. Shara Magomedov earned a bonus by winning over Antonio Troccoli by TKO in the third round.

Volkov earned one of the bonuses by demolishing Pavlovich, and he may get a shot at at least the interim title. Finally, Felipe Lima scored an impressive win with a third-round submission win over Muhammad Naimov in the prelims.

Here are the results, scorecards and closing highlights from the first-ever UFC event held in Saudi Arabia.

UFC Saudi Arabia results, scorecard and highlights

• Robert Whittaker defeated Ikram Aliskerov by knockout in the first round
• Alexander Volkov defeated Sergei Pavlovich via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)

• Kelvin Gastelum defeats Daniel Rodriguez via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)

• Shara Magomedov defeated Antonio Troccoli by third-round knockout

• Volkan Oezdemir defeats Johnny Walker via first round knockout

• Nasrat Haqparast defeated Jared Gordon by split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)

• Felipe Lima defeated Muhammad Naimov – Submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:15

• Rinat Fakhretdinov (29-28, 29-28) defeated Nicolas Dalby via split decision

• Muin Gafurov defeated Kyun Ho Kang via unanimous decision (30-27×3)

• Magomed Gadjiasulov defeated Brendson Ribeiro via majority decision (29-28×2, 28-28)

• Chang Ho Lee defeats Long Jiao by split decision to win Road to UFC: Asia (29-28×2, 28-29)