UFC vet Phil Hawes again looked very good – until he got caught with a solid shot to the chin, this time by Dagestani newcomer Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 288.
Hawes was beating Aliskerov to the punch, repeatedly landing a lead right hook and slapping the body with kicks. Then he ducked headfirst into a kick, and his stiffened response previewed a quick knockout from a right hand at the 2:10 mark of the opening round.
Check out the brutal finish below.
Aliskerov shut the lights out on Hawes #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/SnP6qRJtZ0
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 6, 2023
Afterward, Aliskerov called his shot against another heavily hyped Contender Series vet, NCAA wrestling champ turned fighter Bo Nickal, ignoring Nickal’s current booking against Tresean Gore at UFC 290. Aliskerov’s last setback came at 280 pounds against Khamzat Chimaev, who knocked him out under the Brave FC banner.
Aliskerov extended his current winning streak to six fights in the octagon and on the international circuit, while Hawes suffers his third knockout loss in four fights. Of the American’s seven UFC appearances, all but two have ended by knockout.
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