UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov Main Card Results

See The Fight Results, Watch Post-Fight Interviews With The Main Card Winners And More From UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov, Live From Kingdom Arena In Saudi Arabia

By E. Spencer Kyte, on X @spencerkyte • Jun. 22, 2024

The main card of the UFC’s first event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia opened with a first-round knockout and ended with a first-round knockout, with former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker closing the show in spectacular fashion.

It was a thoroughly entertaining evening of action at Kingdom Arena, with several big efforts in congested divisions raising the stock of the victors and promising to shuffle the rankings when they update next week.

Here’s a look at how things played out on Saturday’s main card. | Official Scorecards | Prelim Results

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov Results

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Main Event: Robert Whittaker defeats Ikram Aliskerov by KO at 1:49 of Round 1
Co-Main Event: Alexander Volkov defeats Sergei Pavlovich by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Kelvin Gastelum defeats Daniel Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Shara Magomedov defeats Antonio Trocoli by KO (strikes) at 2:27 of Round 3
Volkan Oezdemir defeats Johnny Walker by KO at 2:28 of Round 1
Nasrat Haqparast (29-28, 29-28) defeats Jared Gordon by split decision (29-28)
Felipe Lima defeats Muhammad Naimov by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:15 of Round 3
Rinat Fakhretdinov (29-28, 29-28) defeats Nicolas Dalby by split decision (29-28)
Muin Gafurov defeats Kyung Ho Kang by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Magomed Gadzhiyasuov defeats Brendson Ribeiro by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
ChangHo Lee (29-28, 29-28) defeats Xiao Long by split decision (29-28)

Volkan Oezdemir defeats Johnny Walker by KO at 2:28 of Round 1

Volkan Oezdemir kicked off the main card by sending Johnny Walker into the Shadow Realm.

Volkan Oezdemir Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia

The former title challenger waded through the early low kicks offered by the Brazilian and eventually stung Walker with a left hand along the fence. He showed great patience to find the shot that finally put Walker on the canvas and closed out the contest.

Just an outstanding showing and second straight first-round stoppage win for the 34-year-old from Switzerland. He’s been a Top 15 fixture from the very beginning of his UFC tenure, and reminded everyone why here. | Official Scorecards

Shara Magomedov defeats Antonio Trocoli by KO (strikes) at 2:27 of Round 3

Shara Magomedov remains unbeaten in MMA, collecting a second straight UFC victory by out-working and ultimately finishing late replacement Antonio Trocoli.

Shara Magomedov Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia

The Brazilian landed two clean right hands at the start of the fight, but offered very little the rest of the way, allowing Magomedov to warm into the contest and start showcasing his diverse array of weapons before felling Trocoli in the third round.

This was a quality showing for the hyped “Shara Bullet” and he displayed improvement in his takedown defense since his first appearance against Bruno Silva last year. He’s now won 13 straight and should be in line for a step up in competition after this one. | Official Scorecards

Kelvin Gastelum defeats Daniel Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Kelvin Gastelum and Daniel Rodriguez engaged in an entertaining 15-minute punch-up midway through Saturday’s main card in Saudi Arabia, with the former Ultimate Fighter winner emerging victorious.

Gastelum was the one initiating the action throughout, marching forward into range to counter the reach advantage of Rodriguez. He landed the more singularly punishing blow, but Rodriguez countered well and connected with better combinations, with Gastelum taking the fight to the ground multiple times in the back half of the third to salt things away.

Kelvin Gastelum Octagon Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia

This is an important win for Gastelum, but not one that doesn’t come without an asterisk, as the bout shifted from welterweight to middleweight late in the week at Gastelum’s behest. Getting the win is key, but there is still work to do and plenty for Gastelum to prove if he wants to make another push towards title contention in the future. | Official Scorecards

Co-Main Event: Alexander Volkov defeats Sergei Pavlovich by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Make it four straight for Alexander Volkov, as the streaking Russian got the better of his compatriot Sergei Pavlovich in the heavyweight co-main event at Kingdom Arena.

Alexander Volkov Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia

“Drago” did well to fight long throughout the contest, offering an assortment of kicks and quick combinations to touch up Pavlovich and keep the knockout artist off him for long periods. He did well to minimize the number of times he traded in the pocket with the recent interim title challenger, opting instead to use his movement and the diversity of his arsenal to get the better of things.

After posting three-straight stoppage victories heading into this one, Volkov added to his run of success with a massive win on the cards. Already stationed in the Top 5 in the heavyweight division, Volkov should climb a couple notches when the rankings update next week and earn another marquee assignment in the back half of the year. | Official Scorecards

Main Event: Robert Whittaker defeats Ikram Aliskerov by KO (strikes) at 1:49 of Round 1

“The Reaper” came to claim a body in Saudi Arabia, halting Ikram Aliskerov’s seven-fight winning streak with a blistering first-round stoppage win to close out the evening.

A crisp one-two started the finishing sequence, with Whittaker landing a sharp right that put Aliskerov on rubber legs. The Australian immediately chased after him, looking for a head kick before putting Aliskerov down with a clean uppercut, pounding out the finish along the fence.

Whittaker wanted to make a statement in the UFC’s maiden voyage to Kingdom Arena and he certainly did that, registering his first stoppage win since defeating Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza to punch his ticket to a championship opportunity seven years ago. What an outstanding performance by the former champion! | Official Scorecards

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov took place live from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 22, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!

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