Ikram Aliskerov releases cryptic statement amidst Roman Dolidze’s refusal to fight him at UFC 291

It appears as though Roman Dolidze vs. Ikram Aliskerov won't be happening after all, as the Dagestani posted a cryptic statement on his Instagram account that indicates the fight fell through.

MMA reported Alex Behunin tweeted that despite reports of the middleweight bout being planned for UFC 291 next Saturday, it doesn't appear to be accurate. It was believed that the short-notice bout was finalized after Aliskerov's originally scheduled opponent Paulo Costa withdrew from the event.

Behunin tweeted:

"Just spoke with Roman Dolidze, he says he is not fighting Ikram Aliskerov next weekend" [@AlexBehunin - Twitter]

Alex Behunin tweet [@AlexBehunin - Twitter]

It would be unfortunate to Aliskerov as he could be in a situation where he has to withdraw from the event. The Dagestani took to Instagram to voice his frustration with both fights falling through and took aim at both middleweights for refusing to fight him, writing:

"The goal and ambitions are the same We are waiting for the date of the next fight [translation]...Let the eyes of your cowards never find rest in a dream…" [@ikram_aliskerov - Instagram]

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It remains to be seen whether the UFC will attempt to entice Dolidze to accept the fight on short-notice or if they will be forced to move one of the prelim fights to the main card as a result of not being able to find an opponent for the Dagestani.

What is Roman Dolidze's MMA record?

Roman Dolidze has been an exciting fighter to watch in the UFC's middleweight division.

The 35-year-old joined the UFC in 2020 and already had 8 fights inside the octagon due to his activity. He currently has an MMA record of 12-2 and is coming off a loss to former middleweight title challenger Marvin Vettori. It was a similar situation to Ikram Aliskerov as he could have inserted himself in the title mix should he had defeated a former title challenger.

Prior to his loss to Vettori, 'The Caucasian' was riding an impressive 4-fight winning streak that included wins over Laureano Staropoli, Kyle Daukaus, Phil Hawes, and Jack Hermansson. He also earned three consecutive Performance of the Night bonuses prior to his loss.