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- What: UFC Saudi Arabia Main Event
- Who: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov
- Date: Saturday, June 22, 2024
- Location: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Time: Prelims (Noon ET), Main Card (3:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: Prelims (ESPN), Main Card (ABC)
The UFC is at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this weekend for the UFC on ABC 6 fight card. In the headlining bout of the event, also known as UFC Saudi Arabia, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker faces late replacement Ikram Aliskerov, who stepped in when Khamzat Chimaev was forced from the card due to illness. Here is some background on the fighters before we look at the betting breakdown of the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia.
Robert Whittaker (25-7) is the No. 3 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings. Whittaker has alternated wins and losses in his past five outings. The ex-champ is coming off a February decision win over Paulo Costa.
Ikram Aliskerov (15-1) is riding a seven-fight winning streak heading into the most important fight of his UFC career. Aliskerov is 2-0 as a member of the UFC roster. He is not currently ranked inside the top 15 of the UFC’s 185-pound division. Aliskerov has back-to-back first-round finishes in his UFC run and is coming off an October TKO over Warlley Alves.
Before we look at the best bets for the Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov matchup on the UFC Saudi Arabia card, check out the best UFC betting sites and our betting picks for the main event of UFC 303.
UFC Saudi Arabia Main Event: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov betting picks
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |
| Ikram Aliskerov | +116 | +120 | +105 | +111 |
| Robert Whittaker | -136 | -145 | -135 | -141 |
Robert Whittaker betting breakdown
For a long while, Robert Whittaker was looked at as the best UFC middleweight or the second-best UFC middleweight. That perception took a hit after Dricus du Plessis knocked him out at UFC 290. However, that setback has aged a little better since Du Plessis now holds the UFC middleweight title. Even though this fight is a short-notice matchup, it could be looked at as a must-win for a veteran like Whittaker. A loss to a UFC fighter with just two fights for the promotion on his record is not something that Whittaker will be able to recover from.
Whittaker is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC’s 185-pound division. He is a dynamic striker with a high output. Whittaker also has a deep well of techniques at his disposal. He mixes up his targets well, mainly focusing his striking attacks on his opponent’s head and legs, and he can throw in takedowns when the mood suits him or when the fight warrants it.
Whittaker lands 4.57 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 42 percent. He gets hit 3.45 times per minute and has a defensive striking percentage of 59 percent. Whittaker lands 0.85 takedowns per 15 minutes, with a success rate of 38 percent. Whittaker’s takedown defense is at 82 percent.
Ikram Aliskerov betting breakdown
UFC Saudi Arabia marks an enormous opportunity for Ikram Aliskerov, who picked up a UFC contract in 2022 with a decision win on a Dana White Contender Series card. Aliskerov might be new to the UFC, but the promotion thinks highly of his potential, which is evident by his booking in this fight as well as the fact that the UFC was interested in seeing him against Paulo Costa, Nassourdine Imavov, and Anthony Hernandez before the promotion put him against Whittaker. The good news for Aliskerov is that he was training for a fight on this past Saturday’s UFC Vegas 93 fight card.
Aliskerov is a powerful striker with a background in combat sambo. Aliskerov has made a name for himself with his power in the UFC, but he also has very good wrestling. He is a high-pressure grappler stringing together his takedown attempts and he has an incredibly heavy top game that is hard to escape from.
There are concerns about Aliskerov entering this matchup. The first is the obvious step up in competition. The second was that he was in a weight cut for a fight in Las Vegas before he got the call to fly to Saudi Arabia to compete against Whittaker. Two weight cuts in a short time frame and a lot of travel is not an ideal scenario to face a former UFC champion.
Aliskerov’s UFC stats are based on just three bouts. He lands 8.24 significant strikes per minute with a success rate of 65 percent. His defensive striking is at 36 percent, and he absorbs 7.15 significant strikes per minute. Aliskerov’s takedown rate is 2.33 per 15 minutes with 33 percent accuracy. His opponents have not attempted a takedown on him.
Best Bets: UFC Saudi Arabia Main Event – Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov
The betting odds for the Whittaker vs. Aliskerov fight are fairly tight. One reason for that could be that Aliskerov has shown a lot of power, and Whittaker was seemingly saved by the bell in his win over Paulo Costa earlier this year. That could make some believe Aliskerov will score a knockout win. I’m not in that camp. I think Whittaker’s veteran status and the fact that he’s faced much more dangerous opponents than Aliskerov gives him the edge. Also, Aliskerov’s striking defense has not been good against lesser fighters than Whittaker. The betting pick is for Robert Whittaker to beat Ikram Aliskerov by decision.
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