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In a 5-round middleweight bout in the main event, Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskerov meet Saturday at UFC on ABC 6 — also known as UFC Saudi Arabia — at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ABC 6: Pavlovich vs. Volkov odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims begin at noon ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 3 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN+.
Records: Whittaker (26-7-0) | Aliskerov (15-1-0)
Khamzat Chimaev was expected to face Whittaker in this main event, but Chimaev was forced to pull out due to an undisclosed health issue. In steps Aliskerov on short notice to face the former middleweight champion.
Whittaker suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 271 in Feb. 2022. It was a rematch of their fight in Oct. 2019, which resulted in a 2nd-round KO/TKO setback in another title bout.
Whittaker is just 2-2 in his past 4 bouts, with a KO/TKO loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290. He has ended up going the distance in 6 of his past 7 fights since July 25, 2020, and 8 of his past 10 bouts have needed the assistance of the judges to choose a winner.
The southpaw Aliskerov has made 2 appearances at the UFC level, winning via 1st-round KO/TKO against Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves to get on the fast track in the middleweight division. However, facing Whittaker is a huge step up in competition.
Aliskerov has a 2.5-inch reach advantage, but the former champ has tons more experience. Whittaker lands 4.57 significant strikes per minute and posts a 45.83% accuracy percentage on these strikes. He has a 38.10% takedown accuracy percentage, too, while posting a 0.81 takedown average.
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UFC on ABC 6: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:20 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Whittaker -150 (bet $150 to win $100) | Aliskerov +125 (bet $100 to win $125)
- Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -150 | Under +115)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +165 | No -225)
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UFC on ABC 6: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov picks and predictions
Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)
WHITTAKER (-150) will be able tap into his experience and wisdom at the UFC level to get the job done against Aliskerov (+125). The Russian challenger is an up-and-comer who has a bright future, but facing Whittaker will easily be his biggest challenge, and he is not quite ready.
Whittaker is not a punching machine, but he is technically superior, and he does all of the little things to keep all eyes on him, wowing the judges.
While playing Whittaker on the 2-way line is not priced out of line, going with WHITTAKER BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+250) on the 5-way line makes for a tidy little profit if he can go the distance and win.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (-150) is worth a look, as it is expected the favorite will win via the distance.
If you’re a little more adventurous, want some action on the fight, and do not want to declare a winner, take YES (+165): WILL FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? at plus-money.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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