UFC: Ikram Aliskerov Questions Robert Whittaker's Claim He "Hadn't Heard of Him"

Aliskerov believes Whittaker rewatched his KO loss to Chimaev "a million times".

Christopher De Santiago | Jun 19, 2024

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Whittaker didn't know who he'd be fighting after Khamzat Chimaev pulled out of their main event at UFC Saudi Arabia.

The former UFC Middleweight Champion left it to the UFC and his team to figure out what short-notice replacement he'd be fighting this Saturday, and luckily for him, Whittaker would remain on the card after what was a long training camp spent preparing for the undefeated Chimaev. That's thanks to unranked middleweight Ikram Aliskerov, who accepted the challenge on a week's notice.

‘Violently Ill’ Khamzat Chimaev off UFC Saudi Arabia, Robert Whittaker's New Foe

Signing on the dotted line for his new opponent, Whittaker apparently had no idea Aliskerov even existed, recently telling New York Post Sports he "hadn't heard of him or seen him fight before that."

Aliskerov On Whittaker: 'I'm Sure He Rewatched My Fight With Khamzat A Million Times...'

Aliskerov, 2-0 in the UFC, has a hard time believing Whittaker, seeing as though his only loss in 16 pro fights came to Chimaev in a viral first-round knockout under the BRAVE CF banner in 2019.

"I think he was lying," Aliskerov said of Whittaker not knowing who he was, in an interview with Red Corner MMA. "I'm sure he rewatched my fight with Khamzat a million times because he was preparing for him."

Whittaker "Meant No Disrespect" With Initial Comments

The fight in question, Aliskerov vs. Chimaev, has accumulated over 3 million views on YouTube - not that Whittaker would know, as he responds to his opponent's suggestion that he was a liar.

"I didn't watch that fight," Whittaker told Fox Sports Australia. "I hadn't done any research yet. I've watched Chimaev fight in recent years, but I don't do a lot of research on my opponents. I've spoken about it before. I don't do a lot of research on my opponents. The time that I do my research is usually a few days before the fight or fight day itself. So, hadn't heard of [Aliskerov] yet. Again, I didn't mean it disrespectfully. I know him and his coaching staff took it that way, but it doesn't matter. We're going to fight on Saturday anyway..."

"I meant no disrespect in that. It's just I hadn't [known who he was], but that's no surprise, really. I'm not big into watching the UFC and whatnot."

Robert Whittaker: New UFC Opponent ‘Could Be Harder’ Fight than Khamzat Chimaev

More Difficult Fight Than Chimaev?

From what Whittaker has seen out of Aliskerov in his two UFC fights (which both ended by KO), "The Reaper" touts that the Russian could present "a higher level of threat" than his original opponent Khamzat Chimaev.

"I definitely watch his tape," the former champ said of Aliskerov. "Honestly, I think he brings almost a higher level of threat than Chimaev did because his skillset is very well rounded. He's got some really good hands, and he's a guy with a mindset now that he has nothing to lose, only everything to gain, and that's super dangerous. I have to respect this fight and respect the threat that he's going to bring and that's going to bring an animal out of me."