Andre
Muniz can attest to the fact that ups and downs are a
time-honored part of the process for most mixed martial
artists.
The two-time
Dana White’s Contender Series alum will look to climb another
rung on the
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight ladder when he
collides with Ikram
Aliskerov in a featured
UFC on ESPN 66 attraction this Saturday at the T-Mobile Center
in Kansas City, Missouri. Muniz, 35, kicked off his run inside the
promotion with five consecutive victories—a bone-breaking
submission of Ronaldo
Souza was the clear highlight—before back-to-back losses to
Brendan
Allen and Paul Craig
stymied his momentum. He last saw action at UFC Fight Night 233,
where he eked out a split decision over Jun Yong
Park in their three-round encounter on Dec. 9, 2023.
“Wins and losses are part of our lives as fighters,” Muniz told
Sherdog.com. “It’s part of the game. We must keep training and
looking to evolve.”
Questions abound after more than 500 days of inactivity. Muniz had
two previous engagements with Aliskerov canceled—one due to injury,
the other due to travel issues. A decorated sambo practitioner,
Aliskerov has rattled off seven wins across his past eight
appearances, losing only to former UFC middleweight champion
Robert
Whittaker. Khamzat
Chimaev was responsible for the Russian’s only other defeat in
2019.
“Ikram is a great athlete,” Muniz said. “He’s a sambo world
champion who has fought in major organizations. I believe that my
time in the UFC, with all my wins and losses, will have me even
more mature for this fight. I believe that both of us will look to
strike. I’m putting in the work so I can win by knockout. I hope
that’s how I’ll win.”
Muniz operates out of the Tata Fight Team camp in
his native Brazil, where coaches Otavio Duarte, Phillip Lima and
Pedro
Henrique oversee his training. He remains one of the most
feared ground technicians in the 185-pound weight class, having
delivered 15 of his 24 professional victories via submission.
Should “Sergipano” get past Aliskerov, he could once again find
himself in position to challenge a Top 15 middleweight.
“My goal is to fight three times this year and get back to climbing
up the UFC rankings,” Muniz said. “I wish to leave my name in the
history of the organization.”
