One of the biggest setbacks for the UFC this year is Khamzat Chimaev’s withdrawal from the UFC Fight Night event. The main event of the night featured Chimaev and Robert Whittaker in an exciting middleweight clash. However, a serious health concern forced the 30-year-old to walk out of the fight.

Known for his ability to come out of crises, UFC CEO Dana White did the same. The 54-year-old roped in Ikram Aliskerov just in time to save the main event. Aliskerov will now be taking on the former middleweight champion in his next clash. Before his next big fight, we look at the team behind the Dagestani fighter.

Ikram Aliskerov’s coach and training lineage 

Ikram Aliskerov hails from the same place where some of the best fighters in the UFC come from, i.e. Dagestan. The 31-year-old is fairly new in the UFC but has impressed one and all with his performance. He has, to date, featured in two fights in the middleweight division and won both of them. However, before his move to the world’s biggest promotion, Aliskerov had the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov training lineage. He even trained with Khabib Nurmagomedov when they were in their early days.

Aliskerov takes guidance from ‘The Eagle’ time and again, as suggested by some of his social media posts. He is a four-time world champion in the combat sambo and also a two-time European champion. The fighter’s love for fighting started from a very young age and he started his training under the coaches of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s gym.

However, he did not wish to limit himself to learning Sambo and Judo, but also wanted to add new skills. At 19, he started taking his Mixed Martial Arts training under Asadulla Emiragaev. Aliskerov came into the limelight after he won the Dana White’s Contender series in 2022 via submission in the first round. Most experts started to believe that the 31-year-old only had wrestling skills and, as a result, would suffer in the UFC.

However, he proved everyone wrong by winning two of his fights via knockout in the UFC. Despite winning his last two fights, facing Robert Whittaker is a completely new ball game. Not only does he have to be quick across the Octagon, but he also needs a game plan. The Dagestani fighter seems to be prepared for the clash. But where does he train? Let us find out.

Where Does Aliskerov train? Gym and teammates of Dagestani UFC star

Ikram Aliskerov trains in one of the most renowned gyms in Russia, the KHK MMA Team. Since its inception in 2015, the KHK MMA team has been home to some fighters in the UFC. The Dagestani fighters are known to have some of the best work ethics in the MMA. Not only do they work on their skill but also lead a very disciplined life and Aliskerov is no different. The 31-year-old works under the watchful eyes of Eldar Eldarov and is constantly honing his skills. While the 31-year-old does have outstanding wrestling skills, he can also knockout people.

The upcoming battle will have five rounds which many feel is the strength of Whittaker. ‘The Reaper’ is known to have one of the best conditioning in the division. However, he will now have to change his game plan completely in just a week to take on the Dagestani. Aliskerov is nowhere close to Chimaev in terms of his skill and stardom, but he can cause some trouble for ‘The Reaper’.

Will Robert Whittaker win his clash against Ikram Aliskerov? Let us know your prediction in the comments below.