Preview: UFC on ESPN 58 ‘Perez vs. Taira’

Middleweights

Ikram Aliskerov (15-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Antonio Trocoli (12-3, 0-0 PFL)

ODDS: Aliskerov (-900), Trocoli (+600)

Aliskerov looks like someone who can move quickly up the UFC’s middleweight ranks, but he seems to have a hard time getting the chance. A longtime veteran whose lone professional loss came to Khamzat Chimaev, Aliskerov ran through his opponent on the Contender Series in 2022 to earn a UFC contract. The promotion immediately threw him in against a tough test in Phil Hawes, which showed off both some positives and negatives in Aliskerov’s approach. He once again seemed to be taken aback by the rare opponent who could physically meet his bullying style, but he eventually rose to the challenge, started throwing heat and scored the knockout. At 31 years old and without much to prove in terms of his floor, it’s about the right time to match Aliskerov aggressively and see what shakes out. The UFC apparently agrees, but fights against Paulo Costa, Nassourdine Imavov, Anthony Hernandez and Andre Muniz have each fallen through for various reasons, leaving Aliskerov to either fight late replacements or stay on the shelf rather than fighting for a ranking.

This would be another of those spots, as Muniz has been replaced by a Brazilian newcomer in Trocoli, who attempts to make his UFC debut for the fourth time. Somehow a former welterweight at 6-foot-5, Trocoli looked like a decent enough prospect when he initially earned a contract on the Contender Series with a quick submission win in 2019. However, Trocoli was released from that contract after failing his post-fight drug test, and while he has only had one quick win over an overmatched opponent in the ensuing five years, the UFC apparently liked what it saw enough to keep attempting to bring him into the fold. Visa issues scuttled Trocoli stepping in as a late replacement in 2022, and another attempted debut in May fell through for undisclosed reasons. This might mark the toughest potential matchup of them all for Trocoli, and it’s hard to expect much from him after essentially a half decade on the shelf. The pick is Aliskerov via first-round submission.

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Perez vs. Taira
Aliskerov vs. Trocoli
Cuamba vs. Almeida
Johns vs. Silva de Andrade
Almabaev vs. Johnson
Quinlan vs. Fugitt
The Prelims