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The preliminary card for the UFC’s debut appearance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia delivered a number of competitive back-and-forth battles and a stunning debut effort from a promising newcomer.
Closed out by an excellent lightweight scrap between Jared Gordon and Nasrat Haqparast, the six-fight opening slate delivered as an excellent appetizer for the day’s main card, giving fans plenty to enjoy and a reason to be excited headed into the final five bouts of the day.
Here’s a look at how things played out inside the Octagon on Saturday’s prelims.| Official Scorecards | Main Card Results
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov Results
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov Prelim Results
- Main Event: Robert Whittaker defeats Ikram Aliskerov by KO at 1:49 of Round 1
- Co-Main Event: Alexander Volkov defeats Sergei Pavlovich by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Kelvin Gastelum defeats Daniel Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Shara Magomedov defeats Antonio Trocoli by KO (strikes) at 2:27 of Round 3
- Volkan Oezdemir defeats Johnny Walker by KO at 2:28 of Round 1
- Nasrat Haqparast (29-28, 29-28) defeats Jared Gordon by split decision (29-28)
- Felipe Lima defeats Muhammad Naimov by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:15 of Round 3
- Rinat Fakhretdinov (29-28, 29-28) defeats Nicolas Dalby by split decision (29-28)
- Muin Gafurov defeats Kyung Ho Kang by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Magomed Gadzhiyasuov defeats Brendson Ribeiro by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
- ChangHo Lee (29-28, 29-28) defeats Xiao Long by split decision (29-28)
ChangHo Lee (29-28, 29-28) defeats Xiao Long by split decision (29-28)
The second season of Road to UFC finally wrapped in Saturday’s debut bout in Saudi Arabia.
Following a pair of postponed bouts, the matchup was worth the wait to open the weekend, as Lee and Xiao battled tooth-and-nail for 15 minutes, both men driven to punch their ticket to the UFC. Xiao opened well, trying to push the pace, but as Lee continued to chip away at the body with knees, his energy reserves dwindled, and the South Korean was able to inch ahead.
ChangHo Lee Octagon Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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ChangHo Lee Octagon Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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They went the distance, leaving the verdict in the hands of the judges, with two of the three officials awarding the victory to Lee. The 30-year-old joins Rinya Nakamura as the second bantamweight to earn a contract through the Road to UFC tournament, extending his winning streak to four in the process. | Official Scorecards
Magomed Gadzhiyasuov defeats Brendson Ribeiro by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov is the latest member of the DWCS Class of ’23 to garner a victory inside the Octagon, posting a majority decision win over fellow grad Brendson Ribeiro.
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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Magomed Gadzhiyasulov Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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Ribeiro hurt Gadzhiyasulov late in the opening round, blasting him with a punishing low kick that caused him to stumble, and then attacked a mounted guillotine choke early in the second that seemed close to being finished. But the Bahrain-based newcomer controlled much of the final three minutes of the second on the canvas and was right back into top position early in the third, continually landing short shots, looking to advance, and muting the Brazilian’s offensive output to dominate the frame.
The judges were once again called upon to determine the winner and the Russian came out ahead. Now 9-0 overall in his career, this is a solid first step into the depths of the UFC light heavyweight division and marks Gadzhiyasulov as one to keep tabs on going forward.
Muin Gafurov defeats Kyung Ho Kang by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
The bantamweight pairing between Muin Gafurov and Kyung Ho Kang offered a little bit of everything in a 15 minute contest featuring shifts in momentum, diversity of attacks, and quality entertainment.
Muin Gafurov Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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Muin Gafurov Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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Kang had his greatest success when he was able to initiate and control the grappling exchanges, working to mount and back mount at different times throughout the fight, and generally being the more effective of the two on the canvas. Gafurov, by contrast, did his best work when the two were in space, hurting the South Korean veteran towards the end of the second round with nice body work and some heavy low kicks, as well as a spinning wheel kick in the closing minutes of the fight.
For the third straight fight, the combatants used their full allotment of time in the Octagon, leaving the decision in the hands of the judges. When the tens and nines were tallied, it was Gafurov that came out ahead, earning a clean sweep of the scorecards and his first UFC victory. | Official Scorecards
Rinat Fakhretdinov (29-28, 29-28) defeats Nicolas Dalby by split decision (29-28)
Rinat Fakhretdinov continues his unbeaten march forward in the UFC welterweight division, earning a hard-fought win over Danish veteran Nicolas Dalby on Saturday’s preliminary card at Kingdom Arena.
“Gladiator” got the better of things in the first, stinging Dalby on the feet with a sharp jab and staggering him late in the frame. Things were a little tighter in the second and third, with Fakhretdinov leaning heavily on his wrestling and grappling while Dalby chipped away with short shots before stunning the streaking Russian late.
Once again, the judges were called upon to sort things out, with Fakhretdinov landing on the happy side of the split decision verdict. Now 4-0-1 in five UFC starts and undefeated in his last 21 bouts, Fakhretdinov continues to be one to pay attention to going forward in the welterweight division.
Felipe Lima defeats Muhammad Naimov by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:15 of Round 3
Welcome to the UFC, Felipe Lima!
Felipe Lima Submits Muhammad Naimov | UFC Saudi Arabia
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Felipe Lima Submits Muhammad Naimov | UFC Saudi Arabia
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The Brazilian newcomer did to Muhammad Naimov what Naimov did to Jamie Mullarkey just over a year ago, stepping in on short notice, up a division and securing a victory. After his head coach Andreas Michael lit a fire under him following the second round, the debuting talent took the fight to Naimov, attacking a rear-naked choke in a grappling entanglement, forcing Naimov to tap.
Felipe Lima Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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Felipe Lima Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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That’s now 13 consecutive wins for the 26-year-old prospect, who looked outstanding here and should instantly become a person of interest in the bantamweight division when he returns to his natural surroundings later this year. | Official Scorecards
Nasrat Haqparast (29-28, 29-28) defeats Jared Gordon by split decision (29-28)
Lightweight stalwarts Nasrat Haqparast and Jared Gordon went toe-to-toe for three rounds in the final preliminary card fight of the day.
Nasrat Haqparast Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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Nasrat Haqparast Post-Fight Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
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Haqparast was at his best in the first, showcasing his snappy striking and superb takedown defense over the opening five minutes. But as the fight progressed, Gordon claimed a little more ground, his pressure and persistence serving him well as Haqparast’s energy reserves started to run low.
They continued to trade through to the final horn, no quarter asked and none given, and when the scores were added up, it was Haqparast that landed on the favorable side of the split decision verdict. That’s now four straight wins for the 28-year-old, who finally seems to be getting his footing inside the Octagon and starting to make headway in the 155-pound ranks. | Official Scorecards
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov took place live from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 22, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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