Promising UFC middleweight prospect Ikram Aliskerov is in need of a new opponent — again.
Aliskerov arrived on MMA's biggest stage as a highly touted name in 2023. That was after he impressed by earning a kimura submission during an appearance on Dana White's Contender Series the year prior.
The Russian, whose sole loss to date came at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev under the Brave CF banner back in 2019, then made a splash inside the Octagon on debut when he brutally knocked out Phil Hawes.
But making it to the cage since then has been tough, with Aliskerov subsequently having bouts against both Paulo Costa and Nassourdine Imavov fall through.
He eventually kept his ball rolling at UFC 294 last October with a violent stoppage against Warlley Alves. Those two performances helped the 31-year-old Dagestani collect MMA News' Newcomer of the Year award for 2023.
But the new year hasn't brought with it better luck in terms of matchups...
Having already missed out on a major clash with ranked middleweight Anthony Hernandez at UFC 298 this past February, it was recently revealed by Laerte Viana that André Muniz has pulled out from their scheduled contest in a few weeks' time.
Aliskerov Hints At Replacement Opponent For UFC Fight Night On June 15
The Brazilian's withdrawal means Aliskerov has now had four matchups fall through in under a year. While that has no doubt stalled his planned surge up the middleweight ladder, the Russian appears confident that he'll still be making the walk on June 15.
In response to the cancellation, Aliskerov took to social media and hinted at a replacement opponent being in the works for the UFC Fight Night at the Apex next month.
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It remains to be seen who the UFC will place opposite Aliskerov on short notice, but it stands to reason that he won't be getting the kind of high-profile foe he was due to face.
Regardless, he'll have his sights set on another standout performance that will hopefully finally see him have a prominent booking stay together all the way to fight night.