Robert Whittaker reminded everyone why he is still one of the best fighters in the sport at 185 pounds.
Despite a last-minute opponent change in the main event of UFC on ABC 6, “The Reaper” handily defeated Iskram Aliskerov on Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to earn a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. Originally scheduled to face Khamzat Chimaev, the former middleweight champion knocked out his opponent at 1 minute, 49 seconds into the first round to earn his ninth UFC bonus.
Meanwhile, Shalabuddin Magomedov earned himself a check for $50,000 after defeating Antonio Troccoli in a highly-anticipated middleweight bout. “Shalabuddin” Magomedov started the fight-ending sequence with a knee to the jaw, followed by a flurry of punches to stop the bout 2 minutes, 27 seconds into the third round.
Meanwhile, former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir knocked out Johnny Walker in a 205-pound bout, earning a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. “No Time” rocked his opponent with a left hook, knocked him down with a right uppercut, and then finished the bout with a final, decisive right punch that knocked him unconscious 2 minutes, 28 seconds into the bout.
Finally, Felipe Lima was successful in his Octagon debut against Mohamedjon Naimov, earning the card’s final “Performance of the Night” award. Coming into the bout just a few days earlier, Lima forced a clinch, transitioned to his opponent’s back and forced a tapout via rear-naked choke at 1 minute, 15 seconds into the third round.
