UFC Saudi Arabia: Whittaker vs Aliskerov comes to us this weekend from the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two middleweights are looking to stake their claim as next in line in the division. This right is sure to answer a lot of questions, but that’s not all that’s worth looking at on Saturday. In fact we dug deeper into the card as well to give you all our UFC Saudi Arabia best bets. Come check out these UFC Saudi Arabia picks and tail along.
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UFC Saudi Arabia: Whittaker vs Aliskerov – Predictions & Best Bets
Muhammad Naimov ML (-125) vs. Felipe Lima
You aren’t going to find someone who is higher on the fighters fighting in Oktagon MMA. Lima was their bantamweight champ and showed in his title fight with Jonas Magard that he has a really well-rounded skillset. He can certainly hang with grapplers.
However, the difference here is the size and preparation. Not only is Lima taking this on about a week’s notice, but it’s a weight class higher than he prefers. Naimov has already proven to be a handful in the wrestling department for plenty of 145ers and even some 155ers.
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov – Wins via (T)KO (-135)
It may be a bit chalky, but Gadzhiyasulov has shown the ability to put fighters away. If Jose Medina didn’t have a concrete chin, those shots Gadzhiyasulov threw on Contender Series would have gotten him a first round KO.
Now he’ll face Brendson Ribeiro, who is coming off being KOed fast against Zhang Mingyang. While that’s a good loss, you have to worry about his chin after taking a shot like that. Additionally, he often leans too far forward, leaving him susceptible to the counter.
Rober Whittaker vs Ikram Aliskerov – U2.5 (+120)
I know that Whittaker has been a bit of a decision machine, which is why we see the number where it is here. He has seen the judges scorecards in eight of the last ten, with the knockout losses to du Plessis and Adesanya being the outliers. However, I think this situation is uniquely built to buck that trend.
Aliskerov hasn’t seen the scorecards since 2018 in a Brave CF fight with Chad Hanecom. I think there’s a good chance his grappling poses issues for Whittaker. However, if it doesn’t, the combination of the double weight cut and the travel should harm his cardio and allow Whittaker to get going. Either way, it should allow this total to cash.
Kyung Ho Kang ML (+136) vs Muin Gafurov
It took me a long time of looking at this line to try to figure out why someone would make Kang the underdog. After contemplating it for that time, I still have no idea.
Kang is quite a bit bigger than Gafurov in terms of height, reach, and build. He also has shown solid submission skills – picking up three submissions in his last six wins. Gafurov likes to wrestle but has had issues being countered. In addition to that, he was submitted in his last fight just over a minute in. As a result, I love the moneyline here but don’t hesitate to look at the Kang submission number as well (+500).
Chang Ho Lee ML (-105) vs Long Xiao
Chang Ho Lee has shown a solid wrestling game throughout his time on Road to the UFC. Even against fellow grappler Daermisi Zhawupasi, he was able to control positions and eventually get the finish. Long Xiao is coming off a win over a good wrestler, but largely won the fight by taking over after he tired. I like Lee to follow the same gameplan, but for his cardio and striking to be up to the task late in the fight.
Kelvin Gastelum – Wins via (T)KO (+350)
I always like at least one big stab on the props to close these out, and Gastelum provides that for us here. While he hasn’t had one since chinning Bisping, he has five KO wins on his record. Additionally, he looked strong on his feet in a losing effort to Sean Brady.
Now he’ll get Daniel Rodriguez, who is coming off of being brutally knocked out in his last fight. Rodriguez is absorbing punches at a rate of 5.28 strikes per minute. I like the chances that one of Gastelum’s is big enough to turn out the lights.
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