Ikram Aliskerov opens up about Khabib Nurmagomedov's advice for Robert Whittaker fight at UFC Saudi Arabia

Ikram Aliskerov recently weighed in on the strategic advice he received from Khabib Nurmagomedov for his upcoming fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia.

Aliskerov was initially scheduled to fight Antonio Trocoli in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 93 this past weekend. However, in a sudden twist of fate, the promising middleweight prospect was called upon last Thursday to replace Khamzat Chimaev in the headlining bout of UFC's inaugural event in Saudi Arabia to face Whittaker on just nine days' notice.

Aliskerov now has the chance to break into the rankings at 185 pounds and make a strong statement by defeating a renowned opponent like 'The Reaper'. After agreeing to the fight, the 31-year-old Russian sought guidance from the most esteemed athlete from his region, Nurmagomedov, to strategize his approach for this high-stakes bout.

During a recent interview with Red Corner MMA (via Home of Fight), Aliskerov disclosed that he reached out to 'The Eagle' shortly after agreeing to the fight at UFC Saudi Arabia.

While he remained discreet about the specific guidance he received from the UFC Hall of Famer, Aliskerov acknowledged that the former lightweight champion labeled it as an opportunity too valuable to pass up:

"He said, 'You can't miss these chances. You have to fly here and sweat for two to three days. There's also the adaptation. It's a 10-hour difference with Vegas here. It's easier to fly here from Miami when there's a seven-hour difference.'"

He added:

"We discussed [the fight], but I won't get into it. 'Pay attention because he's a striker. Be attentive, and everything will work out.'"

Check out Ikram Aliskerov's comments below:

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Ikram Aliskerov brushes off Robert Whittaker's claim of unfamiliarity before their bout announcement

After learning about the last-minute change for UFC Saudi Arabia, Robert Whittaker mentioned that he wasn't familiar with Ikram Aliskerov but agreed to the fight to stay active in competition.

During the same interview with Red Corner MMA, Aliskerov shrugged off the remarks made by the former middleweight champion and implied that he believed they lacked honesty:

'I think he was lying. I'm sure he rewatched my fight with Khamzat [Chimaev] a million times because he was preparing for him... I think so [he'll remember me]. He'll have to fight me for five rounds."

Check out Ikram Aliskerov's comments below (4:57):

Aliskerov is two fights into his UFC career, having secured back-to-back first-round stoppage wins against Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves. He has only suffered one career defeat, which was against Chimaev at Brave CF in April 2019.