Ikram Aliskerov eyes ‘one big, loud fight’ after UFC Baku win

Ikram Aliskerov is ready to be back in the spotlight at 185 pounds.

Aliskerov (18-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) picked up a clean, dominant win over Brunno Ferreira (15-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 280 for his third straight win. Now with some momentum built after falling short against former UFC champion Robert Whittaker in 2024, Aliskerov is hoping the promotion gives him another shot at a big name in the division.

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“Next what I need is one big, loud fight, one big name – at least one fight at the end of the year,” Aliskerov told UFC.com. “I’m thinking Abu Dhabi in October works perfectly. I’m happy to do it there. I need one big fight, one big name, and I’m back in the rankings.”

Prior to getting knocked out by Whittaker, Aliskerov was regarded as a solid prospect, a fighter to keep an eye on. The defeat certainly slowed down his rise in the weight class, but he’s bounced back well from it. Aliskerov thinks Saturday’s showing proves he’s still a threat.

“I showed that I have really good wrestling and good striking,” Aliskerov said. “The choice is not for me. The choice is for (UFC matchmaker) Mick Maynard and (UFC CBO) Hunter Campbell. If they give me a good name, I’d be happy to fight somebody they suggest.”

The fight against Ferreira was a dangerous one. Although Aliskerov was favored to win, the Brazilian has played spoiler many times in his career due to his powerful and explosive striking. This made Aliskerov have a careful approach in Azerbaijan.

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“He was a very uncomfortable opponent,” Aliskerov said. “He was kind of jumping toward me, so I had to make sure to improvise and bring him down. In the third round, I saw I took the first two rounds, no question, so he only had one chance in the third round to come out and knock me out, so I had to make sure to change the tactics and get him to the ground and make sure I finish the fight that way just to get the victory.”