UFC Saudi Arabia 2024 Results: Robert Whittaker KOs Ikram Aliskerov, RTU Winner ChangHo Lee Earns UFC contract

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Robert Whittaker ended Ikram Aliskerov's unbeaten run in the headliner of UFC Saudi Arabia 2024: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov event which took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday (June 23).

3 of 5 fights on the main card, including the main event of the night finished in stoppages, while 5 of 6 fights went the distance on the preliminary card. In total 4 fights ended in stoppages with 3 being either knockout (KO) or technical knockout (TKO) and 1 submission finish.

While there was no fight of the night awarded, four fighters - Whittaker, Volkan Oezdemir, Shara Magomedov and Felipe Lima bagged performance bonuses for their respective stoppage wins. Here is a look at the recap and results of UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov:

UFC Saudi Arabia 2024 Recap

In the main event, former middleweight champ and No. 3 contender Whittaker ended Aliskerov's seven-fight winning streak with a blistering first-round KO. The finishing sequence was picture perfect, from a combination to a head kick then a clean uppercut that had the referee jumping in.

Following the victory, Whittaker said, "I worked so hard for this fight. To walk away with the results in that amazing fashion means the world to me. I mention it a thousand times, but no one gives me slack: I look to put away my opponents, I am for the kill.

"To finally do it makes me happy, and maybe people will get off my back now. Maybe they'll give me a break! The guys I'm fighting are tough - they're tricky to hit, man! My drive for martial arts is to live up to my own potential. I want to live up to my potential as the best middleweight to ever do it."

In the co-main event, heavyweight titans battled as No. 5 ranked Alexander Volkov delivered a strong performance against No. 3 ranked Sergei Pavlovich. Surprisingly, the fight went the distance.

Volkov used his movement and the diversity of his arsenal to get the better of knock out artist Pavlovich, and ended up with a unanimous decision victory. Volkov is now on a 4-fight win streak.

After earning the points on the judges' scorecard, Volkov said: "In the first round I changed my game plan... because he's so powerful, I felt that one punch could finish the fight. I felt my reach, I felt my punches, I controlled him good. I just kept going my way and it worked. (My conditioning) is something new.

"I felt like I started each round fresh and that angered my opponent so it inspired me. Celebrating is big stars and young fighters, not for me. I have to be disciplined, go back to the gym and train. I want the real title."

Also on the main card, former Ultimate Fighter winner Kelvin Gastelum outworked Daniel Rodriguez for a decision win in a welterweight bout, while Magomedov and Oezdemir claimed stoppage wins in their respective bouts over Antonio Trocoli and Johnny Walker.

Earlier in the preliminary card, the ROAD TO UFC Season 2 Finale took place as the opening fight of the night, between bantamweight finalists Xiao Long of China and ChangHo Lee of South Korea.

The two immediately engaged with every tool in their striking arsenal for a nonstop first round. Xiao Long's punches landed more throughout round two, staving off Lee's plan to wrestle so he ramped up his knees in the clinch.

In the final round, Lee finally scored with a back take, but Xiao Long make a complete reversal for his own, and they ended the close and exciting fight with striking in the clinch. With a split decision win coming from the judges' scorecards, Korea's Lee won a coveted UFC contract.

After the win, Lee said, "Xiao Long was better than I expected, but I'll be a better fighter next time. His clinch was strong so I had to knee him a lot. Definitely my stamina was a condition in this fight."

In the only stoppage win on the under card, Felipe Lima forced Muhammad Naimov to tap out to a rear naked choke in the final round of a featherweight bout, while Nasrat Haqparast, Magomed Gadzhiyasuov, Muin Gafurov and Rinat Fakhretdinov earned decision wins. Here is a look at the final results:

UFC Saudi Arabia 2024 Results

• Middleweight Bout: Robert Whittaker defeats Ikram Aliskerov by KO at 1:49 of Round 1
• Heavyweight Bout: Alexander Volkov defeats Sergei Pavlovich by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Welterweight Bout: Kelvin Gastelum defeats Daniel Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Middleweight Bout: Shara Magomedov defeats Antonio Trocoli by KO (strikes) at 2:27 of Round 3
• Light Heavyweight Bout: Volkan Oezdemir defeats Johnny Walker by KO at 2:28 of Round 1
• Lightweight Bout: Nasrat Haqparast (29-28, 29-28) defeats Jared Gordon by split decision (29-28)
• Featherweight Bout: Felipe Lima defeats Muhammad Naimov by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:15 of Round 3
• Welterweight Bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov (29-28, 29-28) defeats Nicolas Dalby by split decision (29-28)
• Bantamweight Bout: Muin Gafurov defeats Kyung Ho Kang by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Light Heavyweight Bout: Magomed Gadzhiyasuov defeats Brendson Ribeiro by majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
• RTU Bantamweight Final Bout: Chang-Ho Lee (29-28, 29-28) defeats Xiao Long by split decision (29-28)