Ikram Aliskerov stepped up on short notice to headline UFC Saudi Arabia over the weekend, taking on former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.
Things did not go as planned for the Dagestani fighter, who lost by knockout in the first round less than two minutes into the fight.
Rather than blaming the short notice for his loss, Aliskerov took it on the chin and said he has "no excuses" for his disappointing performance inside the cage.
Alhamdulilla, no excuses. I don’t regret anything. It was a big experience against one of the best in the sport. I'm young, I'll work on my mistakes , learn and get back into business soon.Thank to everyone for support messages.
— ikram_aliskerov (@ikram_aliskerov) June 23, 2024
Aliskerov took to social media to share his thoughts on the fight.
"Alhamdulilla, no excuses," Aliskerov wrote on X. "I don't regret anything. It was a big experience against one of the best in the sport.
"I'm young, I'll work on my mistakes, learn and get back into business soon. Thanks to everyone for support messages."
With the loss, Aliskerov falls to 17-2 in his professional career. Both of his losses came by way of knockout.
The four-time combat sambo world champion entered the bout on a seven-fight winning streak, including six finishes during that stretch.
Whittaker, meanwhile, advances to 26-7 with his second straight win. His most recent loss came to current middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 in July 2023.
