Robert Whittaker was in an unenviable situation on Saturday in the main event of UFC on ABC 6 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was facing Ikram Aliskerov, who accepted the fight just nine days earlier when Khamzat Chimaev, Whittaker's scheduled opponent, had to pull out of the fight with an illness.
A former UFC middleweight champion, there wasn't much to gain and plenty to lose for Whittaker against Aliskerov. Aliskerov was a highly regarded opponent by insiders, having entered the fight with a 14-1 mark. The only blemish on his record was a loss to Chimaev in 2019. But Aliskerov only had two UFC fights and wasn't well known by the public.
It looked like a lose-lose situation for Whittaker. Beat Aliskerov and you've only beaten a guy with two UFC fights whose biggest win to that point was over Warlley Alves. Lose and you lost to a guy next-to-no-one heard of and who hadn't been in the UFC all that long.
Whittaker, though, managed to turn a lose-lose into a win, and a very impressive one at that.
Whittaker, who entered the bout ranked No. 3 in the division, hurt Aliskerov with the oldest combination in the book. He landed a jab and a straight right hand that rocked Aliskerov. Aliskerov managed to avoid a head kick that Whittaker threw, but he was on unsteady feet. And he couldn't avoid the vicious and perfectly placed uppercut that Whittaker landed on the chin.
Whittaker thought he had a one-hitter quitter and was about to walk off in celebration when he noticed that referee Marc Goddard hadn't halted the bout.
So Whittaker calmed went back in and laced a wounded Aliskerov with three consecutive powerful left hands before Goddard finally called a halt to it at 1:49 of the first.
"I told you and I told everyone, I'm the boogeyman," Whittaker said in the Octagon after. "I'm the best in the world and I'm the most dangerous match-up for anyone in the division."
BOBBY KNUCKLES JUST DID THAT 🤯@RobWhittakerMMA with a massive KO win in the Kingdom!#UFCSaudiArabia | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/LZHqKFGgFX
— UFC (@ufc) June 22, 2024
It was, without question, an impressive performance, though it is a bit of an overstatement until he avenges the losses to the champion and former champion. Whittaker is one of the best in the division's history, but he's 0-3 against champion Dricus Du Plessis and former champion Israel Adesanya. Du Plessis stopped Whittaker in Las Vegas at UFC 290 on July 8, 2023. Whittaker lost a decision to Adesanya on Feb. 12, 2022, at UFC 271 in Houston, and was knocked out by Adesanya in the second at UFC 243 on Oct. 6, 2019.
Those are Whittaker's only blemishes in more than a decade and he positioned himself Saturday for yet another title opportunity. Adesanya and Du Plessis will meet for the belt on Aug. 17 at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, and Whittaker said he'll serve as the back-up, if asked.
He's always ready and he has a deep-seated belief in his skills that hasn't been dented despite the losses to Adesanya and Du Plessis.
"I'm the best in the world, mate," Whittaker said to Daniel Cormier in the cage when asked how he does it on short notice. "I'm the most dangerous middleweight in the world. I'll fight anyone anywhere at any time and I proved it tonight. I'll prove it tonight and I'll fight anyone."
The fight to make for Whittaker might be former champion Sean Strickland, who is ranked No. 1 and who lost his belt to Du Plessis at UFC 297. Strickland is coming off of a one-sided win on June 1 over Paulo Costa.
A Whittaker-Strickland fight at UFC 305 would serve dual purposes, though it would be a quick turnaround for Whittaker. It would ensure a back-up should anything happen to either Du Plessis or Adesanya. If Du Plessis has to pull out, Whitaker could face Adesanya and if Adesanya pulls out, Strickland could face Du Plessis in a rematch. But a Whittaker-Strickland fight would give the card a solid match and clarify the top contender.
Du Plessis is the champion, with Strickland ranked first, Adesanya second and Whittaker third. So it would help clarify the situation and the Du Plessis-Adesanya winner could meet the Whittaker-Strickland winner.
That's all yet to be determined, though.
What is fact, though, is that Robert Whittaker proved once again it's never wise to underestimate him. As he has been for the better part of the last 10 years, he remains one of the handful of the best fighters on the planet.