Ikram Aliskerov scores first-round knockout over Phil Hawes at UFC 288
Ikram Aliskerov defeated Phil Hawes in a middleweight bout at UFC 288 at Prudential Center on May 6, 2023 in New Jersey. Credit: Anna Sergeeva
NEWARK — That elbow he threw from close range would have ended the fight. If he had not missed wildly with it, that is.
But Ikram Aliskerov quickly made up for that miss with a perfect combination to knock out Phil Hawes in a middleweight bout at UFC 288 at the Prudential Center on Saturday night.
“To win my debut in the UFC with such a fiery knockout, I’m really excited about it and I feel really happy,” Aliskerov said.
Aliskerov (14-1) connected with a left jab followed by a straight right to the chin that crumpled Hawes (12-5) at 2:10 of the first round.
Aliskerov used his moment on the broadcast during his post-fight interview to call out Bo Nickal, a rising MMA prospect and three-time national champion wrestler for Penn State. “He said he wants to fight a Dagestan guy,” Aliskerov said. “I am here. I’m ready.”
Imperfectly perfect
Two things can be true regarding Claudio Ribeiro’s record: he has three losses, and he also has a perfect record. Ribeiro earned his 11th career win — all by knockout — when he stopped Joseph Holmes in the second round of their middleweight bout. Ribeiro set up the finish with a devastating knee in the clinch that dropped Holmes and led to the ground-and-pound.
Quick jabs
Khaos Williams and Rolando Bedoya totaled 281 strikes landed in their welterweight slugfest, with Williams winning by split decision . . . Parker Porter, on the last fight of his contract and after two straight losses, pounded out Braxton Smith for a first-round TKO win in a heavyweight bout . . . Ninth-ranked strawweight Virna Jandiroba grappled her way to a unanimous decision over No. 5 Marina Rodriguez . . . UFC 288 was a sellout and expected to be the biggest live gate for a sporting event in Prudential Center history, and third overall behind a pair of Rolling Stones concerts . . . According to a UFC official, 60% of tickets sold were to people in states other than New Jersey.
Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.
