Robert Whittaker is just happy to be fighting Ikram Aliskerov, despite having never heard of him before his opponent’s booking was announced.
Whittaker was originally scheduled to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC on ABC 6 in Saudi Arabia on June 22, but the Chechen-born Swede fell “gravely ill,” and newcomer Ikram Aliskerov was handed the fight in Chimaev’s place on nine days’ notice.
Whittaker claims he found out about Chimaev’s withdrawal at the same time as the rest of the MMA community, and while “Bobby Knuckles” had spent months preparing for Chimaev’s unique style, the former champion didn’t hesitate to accept the bout against an unknown opponent.
“I had a lot of strategy in mind for the Chimaev fight,” Whittaker told New York Post Sports. “Chimaev is a very unique fighter, he fights in a very unique way, so I had months of strategy in mind for that fight. But Ikram poses a different kind of threat. I hadn’t heard of him or seen him fight before, so sometimes you just have to let things take their course, and, yes, I have full confidence in my skills and abilities.”
Whittaker has accepted some last-minute fights throughout his career, but it doesn’t bother him too much. “The Grim Reaper” is just happy that the fights he’s been preparing for for months are still in the books.
“What’s important is not only the team and UFC that made this fight happen, [but] “I’m grateful to Ikram himself,” Whittaker said, “Like I said, I’ve worked so hard to get to this fight, so it would be devastating to not get to play. So, I’m blessed to be able to compete, still be able to compete, make a living and provide for my family.”
Whittaker marks a big step up in the UFC bout for Aliskerov, who ended his promotional journey with consecutive first-round wins. UFC President and CEO Dana White called this a life-changing opportunity for Aliskerov, while Whittaker seems to have everything to lose against the regional veteran, whose only career defeat was to Chimaev at a Brave Combat Federation event in 2019. Either way, Whittaker isn’t convinced that a win over Aliskerov would earn him a title fight anytime soon. The only positive for Whittaker is that he’ll be able to fight. Whittaker is now focused on getting his hand raised against Aliskerov, and he believes that will definitely pave the way.
“This is what I do for a living. I don’t know, but that’s the good part,” Whittaker said. “I do what I’m good at and I make a decent living off it. I can put food on the table for my family, that’s the bottom line. This is what I was born to do. I’m going to do this… I’ve got to win this fight.” [and] Worry about other things [later]”I approach everything like this. Even against Chimaev, my goal was just to win the fight. Winning opens doors. It doesn’t matter how you win or who you beat, doors open. That’s what the game is about.”
