Sunday, October 26, 2025
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Articles by Abhishek Nambiar

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Where is Ikram Aliskerov from? Exploring the UFC star's ethnic background, nationality, and more
Technology

Where is Ikram Aliskerov from? Exploring the UFC star's ethnic background, nationality, and more

Ikram Aliskerov is preparing for a high-stakes test against Jun Yong Park at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 25. Ahead of his middleweight clash, let's take a closer look at where Aliskerov comes from and what shapes his identity inside the cage.Born in Kasumkent, a village in Dagestan, Russia, Aliskerov represents a region that has become a powerhouse in global combat sports. Dagestan, situated in the North Caucasus, is renowned for producing world champions in wrestling, sambo, and mixed martial arts.Fighters from this region, including Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, have attained championship glory in the UFC. Aliskerov is part of that same lineage.An ethnic Lezgin, he comes from a Northeast Caucasian group native to the mountainous border region between southern Dagestan and northern Azerbaijan. The Lezgins are mountain people known for their pride, resilience, and a strong code of honor called Lezgiwal.Aliskerov is a four-time world champion in combat sambo and a two-time European champion. He currently trains out of Makhachkala with KHK MMA. Aliskerov holds a professional MMA record of 16 wins and 2 losses, with seven victories coming through knockout and five victories through submission.Ikram Aliskerov and Khamzat Chimaev trade words over potential rematch and ethnicityIkram Aliskerov’s name resurfaced in Khamzat Chimaev’s orbit after the Dagestani said he would gladly accept a rematch on two days’ notice if a title shot were offered. Chimaev fired back online, accusing critics of hypocrisy for labeling his callouts of Dagestanis “interethnic” while giving others a pass.Speaking in a recent interview (via Championship Rounds), Aliskerov said:"Of course, if they offered me a title fight, I’d be ready in two days… I don’t train with weak guys either. I’m always training, always in shape, always ready. If you’re an athlete with championship ambitions and you get offered a title fight, how could you say no?”Chimaev responded to the comments on Instagram stories, writing:“Why do people give interviews to these idiots? When I say I will fight someone from Dagestan, it’s an interethnic problem. When they say they’ll fight me, it’s sport. Stop being hypocritical.”The tension rekindles a rivalry that dates back to 2019, when Chimaev knocked out Aliskerov under the Brave CF banner in what he later called his toughest fight. Chimaev now holds the UFC middleweight belt after defeating Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 and sits on a nine-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC.

Jon Anik explains why "there's a lot of pressure" on Tom Aspinall ahead of his Ciryl Gane title fight at UFC 321 
Technology

Jon Anik explains why "there's a lot of pressure" on Tom Aspinall ahead of his Ciryl Gane title fight at UFC 321 

Tom Aspinall enters UFC 321 seemingly carrying more pressure than in any of his fights in recent years. The undisputed heavyweight champion will put his belt on the line against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi.Originally, all eyes were on a potential clash with Jon Jones. However, the American retired and vacated the title, leaving Aspinall as the undisputed champion.Aspinall enters the fight as a heavy favorite, but UFC analyst Jon Anik points out that expectations have skyrocketed since he claimed the belt. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see if he can maintain his momentum against a skilled and experienced opponent like Gane.Speaking in an interview with MMA Fighting, Anik said:“His fan base has swelled exponentially because of the whole Jon Jones circus/exercise, right? Ciryl Gane has gotten a lot of opportunities. He’s a credentialed heavyweight. He’s an outstanding striker. Seemingly, there has been an appetite for improvement in the wrestling and grappling areas. But Tom Aspinall is anointed. We went back, Kenny Florian and I did for UFC Fight Pass this week, and watched some of the early film and even then, you can just see shades of greatness."He added:“So I think there’s always been pressure on Tom, but because he didn’t get the Jon Jones fight and because he’s now the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, never mind the fact that he’s a 4-to-1 favorite in this crazy sport, could you imagine if [next Monday], we’re all doing our podcasts and shows and talking about Tom Aspinall not holding serve as the favorite? It would be crazy, I think, in any other sport, right? 4-to-1 favorites don’t lose very often in sports. So, yeah, there’s a lot of pressure on Tommy, and I know he eats it like a f*cking sandwich."Check out Jon Anik's comments below (9:30):Dana White criticizes Tom Aspinall for his stance on potential fight with teammateUFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall faces criticism from UFC CEO Dana White after saying he would rather vacate the title than fight longtime teammate Ante Delija. Aspinall defends his belt against Ciryl Gane this Saturday at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.Delija, a former PFL champion, recently moved into the heavyweight top 10 following a decisive knockout in his UFC debut. White called Aspinall’s refusal “insane,” stressing that competing against friends does not affect personal relationships.Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports, White said:“You know what I think about it, I hate that. Many friends, relatives have all fought each other before. It doesn’t determine…whether or not you’re friends with somebody or hate them, you’re competing to see who the best is. But that’s his decision. To think about even vacating him because you don’t want to compete against somebody is insane. But he’s a grown man, and it’s up to him.”

"I think my dad would disown me" - Brendan Allen addresses Reinier de Ridder "quitting on the stool" against him at UFC Vancouver
Technology

"I think my dad would disown me" - Brendan Allen addresses Reinier de Ridder "quitting on the stool" against him at UFC Vancouver

Brendan Allen scored a major career win at UFC Vancouver when Reinier de Ridder stopped on his stool and refused to continue. Allen took the fight on short notice and quickly found his rhythm after some early hiccups.After surviving a competitive opening round, he reversed de Ridder’s takedowns and dominated from the top to land a sustained barrage of strikes. By the fourth round, de Ridder was struggling to lift himself off the canvas, and the fight was stopped when he could not continue.Allen has faced moments of extreme fatigue himself, but he remains determined that quitting is not an option. He believes fighters owe it to their team, fans, and themselves to answer the bell. Speaking in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, he said:“I’d rather get knocked out [or] something. I’m not going to quit on the stool. I can’t quit on my team like that. We work so hard. I think my dad would disown me, too, if I did that, to be honest. He’s different. I don’t know, I can’t do that. I don’t want my kids to see that. We follow through no matter what. I signed up to go in there. I signed up to be in that position, to do what I do, to put on a show for the fans, to give a good name to the promotion, to all the guys that gave me the opportunity." [H/t: MMA Fighting]He added:“So I’m not going to let them down by quitting on the stool. Like I said, I’m not scared to get knocked out. I’m not scared to get tapped. I’ve had it both happen. For me personally, that’s all I can speak on, and that’s where I stand, and I know because I’ve been tested to say that’s what I would do.”Nassourdine Imavov slams Reinier de Ridder for quitting against Brendan AllenNassourdine Imavov was surprised to see Reinier de Ridder quit against Brendan Allen at UFC Vancouver. De Ridder’s corner threw in the towel after the fourth round, ending his five-fight streak.Imavov, who holds a decision win over Allen and is riding a five-fight winning streak himself, says he expected Allen to win. He believes de Ridder was overrated and lacked the skills to handle top opposition. Speaking in an interview with MMA Junkie, he said:"As an elite fighter, you can't give up. That's your job, that's what you do for a living. You are the highest level in the world, and you're showing it to people. So, you can't give up. It's like in life, at the end of the day. But I heard it was his corner that threw in the towel, so I don't know what happened clearly, but like I said, for me, you can't give up at the highest level."Check out Nassourdine Imavov's comments below (4:00)