UFC Fight Night: Ikram Aliskerov vs Brunno Ferreira Preview & Prediction
A high level middleweight scrap sitting on the edge of the top 15, combat sambo foundation Ikram Aliskerov meets the heavy-handed Brunno Ferreira in Baku.
Ikram Aliskerov vs Brunno Ferreira facts
What time are Ikram Aliskerov and Brunno Ferreira expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? National Gymnastics Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 280
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres main card
Rafael Fiziev vs Manuel Torres (Lightweight)
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Michel Pereira (Middleweight)
Nazim Sadykhov vs Matheus Camilo (Lightweight)
Asu Almabayev vs Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Ikram Aliskerov vs Brunno Ferreira (Middleweight)
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (Middleweight)
UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres prelims
Farman Hasanov vs Eric Nolan (Welterweight)
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Julius Walker (Light Heavyweight)
Nursulton Ruziboev vs Andrey Pulyaev (Middleweight)
Kaan Ofli vs Javier Reyes (Featherweight)
Daniil Donchenko vs Theodor Berggren (Welterweight)
Bekzat Almakhan vs Jean Matsumoto (Bantamweight)
Tahir Abdullayev vs Jefferson Nascimento (Welterweight)
Ikram Aliskerov: Combat sambo machine with unfinished business in the rankings
Ikram Aliskerov (17-2) is one of the most technically complete fighters lingering outside of the middleweight top 15. A multiple-time combat sambo world champion out of Dagestan, he blends genuine knockout power with an elite grappling base. His only two career defeats are both knockouts – to Chimaev on the regional scene, and to Robert Whittaker in a short-notice UFC headliner he arguably took too early. He’s since rebuilt from that last loss with a first-round demolition of Andre Muniz, and a grinding decision over the durable Jun Yong Park. With only five UFC bouts to his name, his true ceiling remains unproven.
Brunno Ferreira: Heavy handed Brazilian who leaves it all in the cage
Brunno “The Hulk” Ferreira (15-3) is exactly what the nickname suggests – a powerful Brazilian who fights with bad intentions. After the arm-triangle loss to Abus Magomedov, he reeled off three straight wins over Armen Petrosyan, Jackson McVey, and Marvin Vettori, before running into old rival “Robocop”, who flattened him in the first. All three of his UFC defeats have come by stoppage, a reflection of his all-or-nothing approach. He carries a sneaky submission game beneath the power, but he leans heavily on those destructive hands.
Ikram Aliskerov vs Brunno Ferreira prediction
On paper this is a coin-flip between two finishers, but the skill edge sits clearly with Aliskerov. He’s the sharper, more technical operator both standing and on the mat, and his combat sambo pedigree gives him routes to victory that Ferriera doesn’t possess. The Hulk on the other hand, can look slightly one-dimensional, opponents often grow timid in the octagon with him, and wary of that power, a lot of his openings come from exactly that hesitation. Against a composed, well-rounded fighter like Aliskerov, that timidity is far less likely to show up.
The equaliser is Ferreira’s power. We’ve seen Aliskerov be cracked before, twice in fact, and neither Chimaev nor Whittaker are renowned for their one-punch finish, which tells you a clean shot can put him away. Ferreira hits harder than both of them, and if Aliskerov’s confidence took a dent after the Whittaker fight, a well-timed bomb could rewrite this in a heartbeat. That’s why the betting value sits on Ferreira’s side as the sizeable underdog. Still, well-roundedness tends to win over a single dimension, and the read on overall skill says Aliskerov can avoid that danger, mix in his wrestling, and get his hand raised before Ferreira lands the shot that flips it. I lean Ikram, but Brunno is a very live underdog.
Prediction: Ikram Aliskerov to win
