UFC star Robert Whittaker has made a name for himself by taking on any and all comers inside the octagon – but his next challenge is even more insane.
The former middleweight world champion was slated to face the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev on June 23 (AEST) in Saudi Arabia, with the winner likely to earn a title shot.
However, when Chimaev was ruled out due to illness, Whittaker was left in limbo as the promotion scrambled to find him a suitably-ranked new opponent.
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The search would end with Ikram Aliskerov, who has won his past seven MMA bouts and has only suffered one loss in his 16-fight career against Chimaev.
After spending months preparing for a fight against Chimaev, Whittaker showed no reluctance to take on Aliskerov – despite being completely unfamiliar with his work.
“I was notified the morning of, there was some discussions and then by that afternoon we had a new opponent, and the rest is history,” he told The New York Post.
“There was like two hours where we were working things out, figuring out what was happening and yeah, Ikram stepped in and now we’re fighting him.
“Ikram brings a different threat to the table. I hadn’t heard of him or seen him fight before that. Sometimes you’ve got to take things as they come. He’s alright, I’ve watched some tape … but there’s not too much [to learn about] to be honest.
“I have full faith in my skillset and my ability.”
Whittaker (25-7) last fought in the co-main event of UFC 298 back in February, securing an impressive unanimous decision victory over Paulo Costa.
The 33-year-old is ranked third in the 185lb division and a win over Aliskerov would likely put Whittaker in the box-seat to challenge for the gold later this year.
Current champion Dricus du Plessis is expected to defend the strap against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in August at Perth’s RAC Arena, with the winner on a collision course with Whittaker if he can get through this weekend unscathed.
It has been a dramatic week for Dana White’s company, with megastar Conor McGregor withdrawing from his UFC 303 showdown with Michael Chandler due to injury.
Alex Pereira and Jiri Prozachka will clash in a rematch for the light-heavyweight crown in the new main event on June 30.