Kicking off the main card this past weekend at UFC Kansas City, we saw a middleweight contest between two guys who were knocking on the door of the rankings. Ikram Aliskerov (16-2) was looking to bounce back as he took on Brazil’s Andre Muniz (24-7).
Muniz was looking for his second straight win on Saturday night. Aliskerov was fighting for the first time since last June when he was finished by Robert Whittaker. It was a tough draw for Aliskerov who had stepped in on short notice after Khamzat Chimaev had to pull out. It looked like Aliskerov just wasn’t ready for the former champion.
That said, he was fully ready on Saturday night. After stalking Muniz throughout the opening minutes, Aliskerov landed a perfect left that caught Muniz flush on the chin. As Muniz stepped back, he went to the ground and Aliskerov followed up with huge shots which led to him getting the first round finish at UFC Kansas City.
What’s next after UFC Kansas City?
Ikram Aliskerov earned a contract on The Contender Series back in 2022 and had scored two straight first round finished to begin his career inside the octagon. Yes, he was stopped by Robert Whittaker in the first round last June, but that fight was on incredibly short notice and that’s a huge ask for anyone in the division.
With this win over Muniz, he’s 3-1 in the UFC with three first round finishes. I thought he might end up in the rankings this week, but he is not. Despite not being in the rankings, I think his next opponent should be ranked. One fight I’m watching closely for Aliskerov is the co-main event this upcoming weekend between Bo Nickal and Reinier De Ridder. I could see Aliskerov getting the winner of that fight.
Another option could be the winner of Kelvin Gastelum – Joe Pyfer. Roman Kopylov is another option for Aliskerov. Any of those three are good options for his next bout.