The UFC is making its first trip to Saudi Arabia on Saturday with a UFC Fight Night card that features former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker taking on prized prospect Ikram Aliskerov in the main event. Their scheduled five-round bout is the highlight of the main UFC Saudi Arabia card, which begins at 3 p.m. ET from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The No. 3-ranked Whittaker is looking to defend his place in the top-heavy division, with the goal of perhaps competing for the title again by the end of the year. He faces a tough challenge on short notice against the unranked Aliskerov, who was thrust into the spotlight because his fellow countryman Khamzat Chimaev withdrew from the fight due to illness.
Whittaker is the -150 favorite (risk $150 and win $100), while Aliskerov comes back at +125 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov odds. In the co-main event, Sergei Pavlovich (-220) takes on Alexander Volkov (+180) in a clash of ranked heavyweight contenders. Before you lock in your picks for UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov, make sure you check out MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
From analyzing film and closely following fighters and their camps, to tracking fast action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape from top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and regularly talks to MMA fighters to understand the nuances of the sport.
Vithlani made her SportsLine debut in January 2023 and won the main card for UFC 283 with a 5-0 record and has been a consistent winner ever since. Over the last 12 UFC pay-per-view events, Vithlani is 8-4 on main-event picks and her main-card selections have netted her followers over $1,500 in that span.
His key work includes predicting an unexpected win for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) as part of the 4-1 main card at UFC 292, and his UFC 299 winners include underdog picks Poirier (+190) against St. Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him has seen the massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov on the horizon, Vithlani has studied the card from top to bottom and released his top picks. You can see those selections and analysis only at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov Preview
Whittaker (25-7) is a 12-year UFC veteran who is one of the most respected active fighters in the promotion. The 33-year-old New Zealander is known for his endurance, versatile skillset and willingness to take on all worthy opponents.
Since moving up a weight class early in his career, Whittaker is 13-3 at middleweight, with losses to former champion Israel Adesanya (twice) and current titleholder Dricus du Plessis. Whittaker has essentially served as the top-three middleweight gatekeeper over the past few years, and only du Plessis has passed that test.
Whittaker has dismissed all other contenders, but this fight has a different backdrop. The UFC has long believed in Chimaev’s potential, but the Dagestani fighter’s career has been derailed at every turn by illness, injuries and travel issues. Whittaker was perhaps the only top-five middleweight willing to face Chimaev, and now he turns his attention to another prospect who has many similarities to Whittaker’s original opponent.
Like Chimaev, Aliskerov (15-1) is also a powerful Dagestani boxer with great skill and a fearsome temperament. However, the 31-year-old Aliskerov is much less experienced than Chimaev at the UFC level and his two UFC fights have come against journeymen Phil Howes and Warlley Alves, both of whom he finished in the first round.
The unranked Aliskerov was originally expected to appear on last week’s UFC Fight Night card, but the promotion removed him when he became a candidate to face Whittaker on Saturday. Although he is unproven and unranked, a win over a former champion is likely to instantly catapult Aliskerov into the top-five rankings. You can see just who to support at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night Predictions
We’ll share one of Vithlani’s UFC Fight Night selections here: He lines up with Daniel Rodriguez (+205) to defeat Kelvin Gastelum (-250) in a battle of veteran welterweights on the main card.
Gastelum (17-9-1) entered the UFC with a lot of hype after winning the reality series “The Ultimate Fighter” in April 2013. He emerged as a potential title contender after winning his first four bouts, but he has struggled to gain traction against high-level competition since then. The 32-year-old Californian has lost three of his last four fights, including a loss to prospect Shawn Brady last December.
Rodriguez (17-4) is a powerful puncher who once reached a top-15 ranking with four straight wins, but a string of losses has halted his momentum. He was stopped by rising star Ian Gary in the first round of their fight last May.
“Gastelum has been getting hit a lot lately, and after competing in more than 20 UFC fights, his granite chin can only last a short time,” Vithlani told SportsLine. See who else to root for here.
How to get selected for UFC Fight Night
Vithlani has strong picks for Whittaker vs. Aliskerov and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing a fighter who “brings a dangerous presence to the Octagon” and emerges with a dominant win. Those picks are available exclusively at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov, and how does each bout really end? Visit SportsLine now to get the full scoop on UFC Fight Night, all from the MMA experts who made more than $1,500 in profit on their UFC main-card picks, and learn more.
UFC Fight Night Odds, Fight Card
Check out complete UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Robert Whittaker (-150) vs. Ikram Aliskerov (+125)
Sergey Pavlovich (-220) vs. Alexander Volkov (+180)
Kelvin Gastelum (-250) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (+205)
Johnny Walker (-120) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (+100)
Shara Magomedov (-240) vs. Joilton Lauterbach (+195)
Nasrat Haqparast (-240) vs. Jared Gordon (+195)
Rinat Fakhretdinov (-340) vs. Nicolas Dalby (+270)
Kyung Ho Kang (+130) vs. Muin Gafurov (-155)
Magomed Gadziasulov (-345) vs. Brendan Ribeiro (+275)
Xiao Long (-120) vs. Chang Ho Lee (+100)
