Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Saudi Arabia mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., June 22, 2024) on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN+ from inside Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, featuring a middleweight main event between former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker and once-beaten division prospect Ikram Aliskerov, a five-round headliner with major title implications for late 2024 and beyond.
Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the 265-pound scrap between heavyweight veterans Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov, get all the latest “Whittaker vs. Aliskerov” odds and betting props courtesy of DraftKings right here. For UFC Saudi Arabia live results and play-by-play click here.
185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov
Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker
Record: 25-7 | Age: 33 | Betting line: -155
Wins: 9 KO/TKO, 5 SUB, 11 DEC | Losses: 3 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 6’0“ | Reach: 73” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.57 | Striking accuracy: 42%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.45 | Striking Defense: 59%
Takedown Average: 0.81 (38% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 82%
Current Ranking: No. 3 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Paulo Costa
Ikram Aliskerov
Record: 15-1 | Age: 31 | Betting line: +130
Wins: 6 KO/TKO, 5 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 6’0“ | Reach: 76” | Stance: Southpaw
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 8.24 | Striking accuracy: 65%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 7.15 | Striking Defense: 36%
Takedown Average: 2.33 (33% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 0%
Current Ranking: Unranked | Last fight: Technical knockout win over Warlley Alves
Former UFC middleweight titleholder, Robert Whittaker, has only lost to two opponents in the 185-pound weight class — both of them champions. “The Reaper” dropped a pair of bouts to Israel Adesanya (UFC 243, UFC 271) and one fight to Dricus Du Plessis (290), who went on to capture the crown by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297. Whittaker’s rebound win over Paulo Costa at UFC 298 proved the Aussie is not over the hill and was simply outgunned by “Stillknocks,” or perhaps unprepared for the South African’s bulldozer offense, which remains bowling-shoe ugly (but supremely effective). I don’t think we should expect anything different from Whittaker in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event, at least in terms of execution, so look for a lot of traditional boxing to include fancy footwork and striking from a variety of angles. His success in this fight, not surprisingly, will all depend on his takedown defense, which to date remains some of the best in the division.
“He’s very much a dangerous opponent,” Whittaker said at the UFC Saudi Arabia media day. “You can look at it on paper that he might be more dangerous [than Chimaev] because of how well-rounded he is, but honestly, every fight brings a level of threat and a level of danger that has to be addressed. By this stage in the camp, all the work’s been done. I’m fit, I’m strong, I’m sharp, and all the skills that I worked for Chimaev, no skill is wasted, no skill is useless. A lot of it can be used in this fight, so all the work’s been done. I’m ready.”
Ikram Aliskerov steps in for the ailing Khamzat Chimaev on super short notice but was already finishing up camp for UFC Vegas 93 when he got the call, so it’s not like he was sitting on the couch eating potato chips. My one concern about getting rebooked, specifically the timing in which the switcheroo took place, is Aliskerov’s weight cut. He was already at the tail end of his cut when matchmakers pulled him from the “Sin City” lineup. That means the Russian bruiser had to rehydrate but also hold his weight for another week and put himself through another round of dehydration. There have been arguments that a similar circumstance (by his own doing) may have contributed to Tony Ferguson’s downfall against Justin Gaethje at UFC 249, so I do believe it’s worth noting. Outside of that, Whittaker will be tasked with facing a dangerous up-and-comer on a seven-fight win streak, with six of those victories ending by way of knockout or submission.
“I consider myself to be a tougher matchup because I am a Top 10 fighter,” Aliskerov told MMA Junkie. “I deserve to be at least in the Top 10. The way I was speaking to Ali, my manager, is the way it sounded is the UFC kind of expected me to have this fight. They think I’m ready, that I’m that level of an opponent that I should be accepting this fight. I think that’s great. It makes me think that the UFC values me. They know what I’m worth. They know what I’m capable of, so I think it’s right that I’m a tougher matchup.”
“The goal for me is also the belt,” Aliskerov continued. “I know if this fight was Khamzat it would’ve been a title eliminator fight. However, with me, my goal still remains the same. My goal is still the title. I don’t know if there’s a win if they’ll offer me the title shot next. But the point is I’m going to do whatever I can and whatever I need to do to get to that goal.”
Aliskerov’s lone career loss came against Chimaev in early 2019. If “Borz” really is as good as the hype suggests, we can probably overlook that performance as it pertains to his potential to be elite. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot to go on outside of his two Octagon appearances. Granted, they were both impressive wins, as was his destruction of Mario Filipe de Sousa on Dana White’s “Contender Series,” but the level of competition Aliskerov has faced is almost comical when compared to the murderer’s row that Whittaker has not only fought, but also defeated. MMA is no different than any other sport and it’s easy to get intoxicated by the hype of a shiny new prospect who seems to do no wrong. That said, it’s time to sober up and admit that Whittaker has been to hell and back (and has the battle scars to prove it). What can Aliskerov throw at the former champ that he hasn’t already seen? Unless he’s completely washed, expect “The Reaper” to stuff a few takedowns, box from range, and use superior cardio to turn the latter half of the fight into a veritable shooting gallery.
Prediction: Whittaker def. Aliskerov by decision
265 lbs.: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov
Sergei Pavlovich
Record: 18-2 | Age: 32 | Betting line: -238
Wins: 15 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 3 DEC | Losses: 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 6’3“ | Reach: 84” | Stance: Southpaw
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 8.21 | Striking accuracy: 48%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.61 | Striking Defense: 55%
Takedown Average: 0.00 (0% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 75%
Current Ranking: No. 3 | Last fight: Knockout loss to Tom Aspinall
Alexander “Drago” Volkov
Record: 37-10 | Age: 35 | Betting line: +195
Wins: 24 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 9 DEC | Losses: 2 KO/TKO, 3 SUB, 5 DEC
Height: 6’7“ | Reach: 80” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.10 | Striking accuracy: 57%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.00 | Striking Defense: 54%
Takedown Average: 0.49 (63% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 73%
Current Ranking: No. 5 | Last fight: Submission win over Tai Tuivasa
Sergei Pavlovich was one victory away from capturing the interim title, a UFC 295 co-main event that was hastily assembled when reigning heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, blew out his pectoral muscle and was forced to put his Stipe Miocic fight on hold. Unfortunately, the power-punching Russian was unable to get past 265-pound phenom Tom Aspinall, who moves on to defend the substitute strap in a rematch against heavyweight hurter Curtis Blaydes. Yes, the same “Razor” that got dulled by Pavlovich at UFC Vegas 71. To be fair, Pavlovich creams just about everyone outside of Aspinall, having previously laid waste to fellow heavyweight bricklayers Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis, among others. He’s got a ridiculous 84-inch reach and the kind of knockout power that can end a fight at a moment’s notice while also landing a frightening 8.21 significant strikes per minute. His wrestling is virtually nonexistent (despite his Greco-Roman background) and I wouldn’t expect any takedowns from Pavlovich tomorrow night in Riyadh — this one is all about heavy leather while reestablishing his place as one of the top heavyweights in the world.
“That loss against Aspinall was not the end for me,” Pavlovich said during the UFC Saudi Arabia media day. “That loss isn’t going to define me. The fight didn’t go the way I wanted. Sh*t happens. It won’t change the work I put into this. I need to keep working and sharpen my skills. My dream is to be champion. I know this isn’t going to be easy. I always expected it to be hard. My journey continues against Volkov.”
“Of course between every fight you figure something out, you learn something new about yourself,” Pavlovich told MMA Junkie. “You sharpen and better yourself. Obviously, I think we changed, and we got better, and we improved. I have a fight on Saturday. We’ll see. The cage will close. I have a fight to win, and then we’ll see what happens next. You can plan for something, but as we see right now, plans change a lot, and often. We just have to keep winning and then we’ll see what happens. But the facts will be in front of us later.”
Alexander Volkov, who previously trained with Pavlovich, was also finished in short order by the unstoppable Aspinall at UFC London back in early 2022. Since then, “Drago” has rattled off three straight wins — all finishes — including his UFC 293 stoppage over Tai Tuivasa. Volkov is the complete package and can be a problem wherever the fight goes. In addition to his technical boxing, the exceptionally tall Russian has underrated wrestling and sneaky submissions, which he may implement to avoid the power of Pavlovich. There’s not a lot to break down for this heavyweight co-main event. Whether or not Volkov survives all depends on his defense. If he can stick-and-move and frustrate his opponent with well-timed takedowns, he could very easily cruise to a sweep on the judges’ scorecards. I just think it’s only a matter of time before Pavlovich lands something of merit, which is likely to drop and turtle “Drago,” who turns 36 in October. From there it’s academic.
Prediction: Pavlovich def. Volkov by technical knockout
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LIVE! Stream UFC Saudi Arabia On ESPN+
MIDDLEWEIGHT MAYHEM! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., on Sat., June 8, 2024, for just the second time in the promotion’s history — and the first time in more than 13 years — for a stacked “Fight Night”-themed event. In UFC Louisville’s main event, top-ranked Middleweight contenders Jared Cannonier (No. 4) and Nassourdine Imavov (No. 7) will look to get in the 185-pound title chase with a pivotal victory. In the co-feature, No. 14-seeded Light Heavyweight contender, Dominick Reyes, returns to action against Dustin Jacoby, in a fun 205-pound showdown.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Saudi Arabia fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ preliminary card matchups, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Saudi Arabia news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here, here, and here. For the updated and finalized “Whittaker vs. Aliskerov” fight card and ABC/ESPN+ lineup click here.
