MMA World Reacts to “Crazy” Phil Hawes Knockout by Fighter, Who Made Khamzat Chimaev “Look Mortal,” at UFC 288

With Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling fighting in the main event, UFC 288 kept the spirits of the fans at the peak. Many people initially seemed to believe preliminary fights were not worth their attention. However, Ikram Aliskerov proved the world wrong with his phenomenal performance in the fight against Phil Hawes. Aliskerov previously fought Khamzat Chimaev and gave him one of the toughest matches at BRAVE CF 23.

‘No Hype’ was taken down in the first round itself, with a one-two combo to the chin. Hawes went into the shadow realm even before he made contact with the canvas. Knowing that his opponent was done for, the Dagestani fighter did not follow him to the ground for unleashing a barrage of bashes. Instead, he stood tall and soaked in his latest win. While many fans are known to be skeptical about watching the UFC prelims, Aliskerov proved why prelims were important. As the hype went to Reddit, the MMA fans could not help but praise the Dagestani. 

Fans think the prelims should deserve more credit

Undeniably, the fighter made his mark on the UFC. He then went on to call out Bo Nickal, after securing the win. Without a doubt, the match impressed the entire world and changed the public views about the early preliminary cards. MMA fans on Reddit commented on a post that showed the winning moment for Aliskerov. The post captioned, “This is why you always watch prelims.”

This is why you always watch prelims.
by u/dupey69 in ufc

Many of the fans believed that Aliskerov deserved the win, since his only defeat was against Chimaev. People believed that someone who can give a tough fight to Chimaev would indeed be a tough fighter. Moreover, the fans thought it was never wise to bet against the Dagestani.

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Here is what the fans had to say: 

• Crazy sh*t always happens early prelim
• Yeah that was an easy bet for a Khamzat fan. A guy that can make Khamzat look mortal that early on is something special.
• Dont ever bet against Dagestanis…like Seriously…
• They’re usually the ones fighting the hardest for a contract and fight bonuses.
• right… I jus remember his only loss being Chimaev so I figd he couldn’t be that bad.
• When they go to the same barber as Khabib and Islam, you can’t go wrong
• He is a very well credentialed combat sambo fighter and gave Khamzat’s a tough fight before getting KO’d, definitely one to keep an eye on
• 100%, 185 is finally getting interesting with these grapplers showing up (Khamzat, NoBickal and now Ikram)
• Ufc prelims are usually more eventful than the ppv main card
• Good fight while it lasted, fantastic KO and good call out after.

Aliskerov’s flawless victory over Hawes

Aliskerov took over the world of mixed martial arts with a jab-cross combo, which secured him a flawless victory over Hawes on his home soil. 

Hawes led the fight with a jab and a low kick, while Aliskerov countered him well. Within moments, the two begin a brawl that leads to Aliskerov attacking with a head kick and an elbow. Finally, he finished Hawes and took in the victory.

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Do you think the prelims are more interesting than the main cards? Do you think Aliskerov could face Chimaev in the UFC as well? Let us know in the comments down below.