Whittaker vs Aliskerov Prediction: UFC Saudi Arabia Main Event Picks & Odds (Jun 18)
The best fight company in the world is back on ABC with the first UFC event to ever take place in Saudi Arabia. Following Khamzat Chimaev’s pulling out of this event due to illness, Ikram Aliskerov steps up on short notice to take on the great Robert Whittaker in this historic main event.
This Whittaker vs. Aliskerov bout is fascinating. Both guys deserve props for taking this on two weeks notice and they both will have obstacles to get through to get their hand raised on Saturday. Who will be more prepared and show up to win?
Keep reading for a closer look at this matchup than you’ll see from most UFC AI picks online. We will discuss the stylistic clash in the octagon and the betting lines to look at before you place any bets; along with an official Whittaker vs Aliskerov prediction.
Whittaker vs Aliskerov Information
| Robert Whittaker vs Ikram Aliskerov |
| Location of the Fight: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Date and Time: June 22, 2024 – 3 PM ET Main card starts |
| How to watch: watchlivesports.co |
Robert Whittaker vs Ikram Aliskerov Odds
| Fighter | Moneyline | Total |
| Ikram Aliskerov | +110 | O 2.5 -175 |
| Robert Whittaker | -140 | U 2.5 +145 |
According to the available UFC odds, Whittaker is going into this week as the -136 betting favorite. He is also at +170 to win inside the distance and +265 to win a decision. These are valuable lines for someone as successful as Whittaker going up against a new face in the UFC.
Aliskerov is taking the underdog role this weekend, currently with a +116 line. You can get him to win inside the distance at +140, which is more likely than Whittaker doing the same. He is also +600 to win a decision–meaning that oddsmakers don’t believe he has a good chance to win over more rounds than the former UFC champion.
Other lines to keep in mind before making your own Whittaker vs Aliskerov prediction are the over/under of 2.5 rounds and the fight being favored to end inside the distance at -250, with +195 odds to go the distance.
Betting Preview
Robert Whittaker:
Whittaker is a 25-7 Australian MMA fighter with 9 TKO/KO victories and 5 submissions on his record. Like most of Robert Whittaker’s fights, this is another big one with lots of eyes. He is a former UFC middleweight champion with 8 post-fight bonuses in the UFC.
Whittaker measures in at 6’0” with a 73” reach while fighting out of the orthodox stance. In his successful UFC career, Whittaker averages 4.57 significant strikes landed per minute and has a 59% striking defense. He also has a solid 82% takedown defense and lands 0.82 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Anaheim you were great, can’t wait to do it again. Thank you to my fans for all the love and support you send my way 👊🏽❤️ pic.twitter.com/ELtd1xJmF0
— Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) February 20, 2024
Ikram Aliskerov:
Aliskerov is a 15-1 professional MMA fighter from Dagestan with 6 TKO/KO wins and 5 submissions under his belt. UFC fans might remember seeing an Ikram Aliskerov submission on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, and he has only fought twice in the UFC since–both being first-round KO wins.
Aliskerov is a 6’0” International Master of Sport in Combat Sambo with a 76” reach. He is a southpaw and averages over 8 significant strikes landed per minute in the octagon. He also averages 2.33 takedowns per 15 minutes, but all three of his fights in an octagon have ended just over 2 minutes into the first round so the stats are inflated.
Media for main event is much longer 🎥 pic.twitter.com/r6BeIzRbpo
— ikram_aliskerov (@ikram_aliskerov) June 18, 2024
AI Betting Picks
- Over/Under – Over 2.5 rounds (+160)
- Moneyline – Islam Makhachev (-640)
These two UFC fighters are at the top of the world in the middleweight division, but Whittaker has proven himself so much more. Aliskerov has plenty of talent and can cause issues for anybody in the world in the first few minutes of a fight, but what happens when Whittaker makes it tough for him?
After a lot of analysis of the fight film from both men, the official Whittaker vs Aliskerov prediction is that Whittaker will get his hand raised this weekend. His moneyline is very valuable for this kind of matchup and it might even get better as the fight week goes on.
The experience is going to be a huge factor on Saturday. Whittaker knows how to take rounds on scorecards and how to dismantle a talented fighter. He is motivated to get another title shot with the division seemingly wide open at the top, he will be in shape and prepared to go to war.
Look for a lot of mixing-up attacks from Whittaker. Kicks from range and sniping with counters when Aliskerov closes the distance. Also, perfectly timed takedowns at the end of rounds to steal them on the scorecards.
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