The Octagon invaded Riyadh for today’s UFC Saudi Arabia event, an eleven-bout fight card headlined by Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov.
The highly anticipated middleweight main event proved to be a one-sided affair. Robert Whittaker was able to hurt Ikram Aliskerov early and never took his foot off the gas. After landing a hard kick, ‘The Reaper’ connected with a beautiful uppercut that sat the Russian down (see that here). A few follow up shots was all the referee needed to see to step in and wave off the bout.
UFC Saudi Arabia was co-headlined by a heavyweight bout featuring Sergei Pavlovich (18-2 MMA) going up against Alexander Volkov (37-10 MMA). The contest resulted in a dominant performance for the former Bellator champion. ‘Drago’ was able to utilize his low kicks and jab to frustrate and overwhelm Pavlovich, seemingly cruising to a unanimous decision victory. The win marked Volkov’s fourth in a row and likely sets him up for a title eliminator bout in his next appearance.
Following the conclusion of tonight’s event, UFC officials announced at the post-fight press conference that four fighters would be taking home performance bonuses.
Performance of the night: Robert Whittaker earned an extra $50k for his first round knockout victory over Ikram Aliskerov in tonight’s UFC Saudi Arabia main event.
Performance of the night: Volkan Oezdemir pocketed an extra $50k for his brutal first-round knockout victory over Johnny Walker (see that here).
Performance of the night: Shara Magomedov earned an extra $50k for his third-round knockout victory over Antonio Trocoli.
Performance of the night: Felipe Lima pocketed an extra $50k for his third-round submission victory over Muhammad Naimov.
Are you surprised by any of the performance bonuses handed out by Dana White and company following the conclusion of tonight’s UFC Saudi Arabia event? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!
