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Ikram Aliskerov | Despite Detours, Destination Remains The Same
Middleweight Dark Horse Discusses UFC Tenure, Still Eyeing Top 10
The first couple of years of Ikram Aliskerov’s UFC tenure have been a cavalcade of injuries, fight cancellations, and opponent switches, resulting in the 32-year-old Russian middleweight having made just four appearances since earning his place on the roster with a first-round submission win over Mario Souza on Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
“It’s always tough, especially with fight cancellations,” acknowledged Aliskerov via translator Sergey Nagorny, reflecting on the challenges he’s faced thus far as he readies to return to action against JunYong Park this weekend at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. “You’re prepared, you’re ready, you get your mind set for the opponent, for the fight, for the date, and then it gets moved.
“You get this emptiness in your soul that you have prepared for almost nothing, but this is the sport that we’re in,” he added, pivoting and smiling. “This is something we have to deal with; we cannot control that aspect of it. We control the mental aspect of it, and we move forward, only look ahead of us.”
While the frequent obstacles that have limited his appearances have surely been frustrating to encounter, there are glints of silver lining shimmering through when you look at some of the names he’s been matched up against and the caliber of opposition he’s faced thus far.
The ascending talent made his promotional debut with a win over Phil Hawes at UFC 288 and was then prompted booked into an explosive pairing with former title challenger and Top 15 mainstay Paulo Costa, though the bout never materialized. That was followed by a pairing with Nassourdine Imavov that fell through when the current top contender was forced to withdraw, resulting in Aliskerov running through Warlley Alves to register the second first-round finish of his rookie campaign under the UFC banner.
A clash with Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez was penciled in for UFC 298, but the talented sophomore was forced to withdraw before his first pairing with Andre Muniz shifted from a short-notice matchup with Antonio Trocoli when Muniz was forced out and then into a Aliskerov, shuffling into a clash with Robert Whittaker on a week’s notice in Saudi Arabia when current champ — and the first man to defeat Aliskerov — Khamzat Chimaev was forced out of the contest.
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After his first attempt at running things back with Muniz went by the boards in February, the two finally shared the Octagon in April, with the Russian dark horse dispatching his fellow DWCS alum in the closing seconds of the first round to get things moving in the right direction again.
“He was a little bit of a nuisance; he was in my mind for a while, but now it is a turned page and we’re moving forward,” he joked of Muniz.
Following the contest, Aliskerov lobbied for another opportunity to fight a top name, refusing to call out anyone specifically, but instead making a blanket pitch to face anyone in the Top 10. Those kinds of pitches rarely work, and he was paired off with Brunno Ferreira in July at UFC 318, only to suffer a broken toe in training camp and once again have another solid pairing scuttled. “The Hulk” stayed on the card and submitted Jackson McVey, while Aliskerov pressed pause, recovered, and now faces off with Park at Etihad Arena on Saturday.
Though presently unranked, the South Korean veteran is a stern test for anyone in the division, entering on a two-fight winning streak and having won six of his last seven, with the lone setback being a debated split decision loss to Muniz of all people. Since that narrow setback, the 34-year-old “Iron Turtle” has turned in wins over Brad Tavares and Ismail Naurdiev, navigating a gnarly eye poke and unfortunate clash of heads against the latter en route to securing the unanimous decision victory.
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“He's no easy opponent, obviously,” Aliskerov said of his opponent this weekend, who holds a 9-3 mark inside the Octagon and a 19-6 record overall. “He always pushes forward, goes to the end.
“But I’ve seen his fights, I’ve watched his stuff up until now, and I believe that I’m better than him in all aspects. Whether it’s striking or on the ground, I believe I’ll have enough skills to make sure to go through him.”
Over the last couple of years, the middleweight division has undergone some major changes, with three different men holding the title since the beginning of 2024 and several tenured names beginning to slide down the rankings as ascending fighters like Imavov, Hernandez, Brendan Allen, and Caio Borralho have all pushed forward.
Those changes don’t feel like they’re going to be stopping any time soon, as shown by Allen’s knocking Reinier de Ridder, who has yet to reach the one-year anniversary of his promotional debut, a few spots back in the hierarchical structure with his short-notice win this past weekend in Vancouver. And while a victory over Park isn’t necessarily going to expedite Aliskerov’s rise into the rankings, it could bring him one step closer to facing someone who is carrying a number next to their name the next time out.
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“It's a very interesting period for our weight division; I think it’s the most interesting weight division out of the entire UFC roster,” he said of the middleweight ranks. “There are a lot of changes happening, but these changes are good — there are a lot of opportunities, opportunities for new opponents — and I hope that the UFC sees my potential and keeps putting me against opponents that can get me to the Top 10 as soon as possible.”
In order to get there, he first needs to get through the durable and rugged Park on Saturday, but Aliskerov is confident that he’s up to the task.
“I always look to show an intriguing fight, an interesting fight — something to show the fans, show my skills,” began the Russian hopeful when asked about how the fight may play out this weekend. “I’m gonna do everything I can in my power to get to the top and go over this opponent and keep moving forward.”
With each of his first three UFC wins coming within the first five minutes, is it safe to say that Aliskerov will be looking to maintain that streak and post another first-round stoppage victory in Abu Dhabi?
“Same work, brother,” he said with a smile. “Same work!”
UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 25, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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