Robert Whittaker went from one menacing middleweight seeking to take his spot to a different.
Nothing is ever simple for “The Reaper,” who faces Ikram Aliskerov in the principle occasion of UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Whittaker was initially scheduled to struggle Khamzat Chimaev in a bout with clear title implications, however with Chimaev compelled to withdraw resulting from an sickness, Whittaker now faces a lesser recognized opponent with little assure {that a} win propels him to the highest of the contender ladder.
Making the scenario even trickier for Whittaker is that Aliskerov might be simply as harmful because the undefeated Chimaev. The Russian sports activities a 15-1 document together with first-round finishes in his first two UFC fights and his lone loss got here to Chimaev again in 2019. If Aliskerov makes brief work of Whittaker, don’t be shocked if he earns a championship alternative quickly.
In different primary card motion, heavyweight contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov face off within the co-main occasion, Kelvin Gastelum and Daniel Rodriguez meet in a screwy middleweight matchup, fashionable middleweight Shara Magomedov fights short-notice debutant Antonio Trocoli, and Johnny Walker and Volkan Oezdemir collide in a battle of sunshine heavyweight veterans.
What: UFC Saudi Arabia
The place: Kingdom Enviornment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
When: Saturday, June 22. The six-fight preliminary card begins at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+, adopted by a five-fight primary card at 3 p.m. ET additionally on ABC and ESPN+.
(Numbers in parentheses point out standing in MMA Preventing’s International Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings)
Robert Whittaker (4) vs. Ikram Aliskerov
How are all of us feeling about Robert Whittaker lately?
I believe Whittaker has made a powerful assertion that he’s too expert and too powerful for 90 p.c of the middleweight division to deal with, as evidenced by how he outclassed the likes of Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, and Jared Cannonier, regardless of his in-cage mileage including up. The Dricus du Plessis loss was eye-opening, however was it actually indicative of Whittaker’s limitations or was that only a poor model matchup for him?
Ikram Aliskerov is simply a slight underdog in accordance with DraftKings Sportsbook, which tells you simply how extremely the oddsmakers consider Aliskerov regardless of him having a tenth of the UFC expertise that Whittaker has and the truth that he’s taking this struggle on brief discover. Heading into the largest struggle of his profession, I’m guessing Aliskerov would have favored extra time to organize for Whittaker particularly.
Nonetheless, I can’t assist however really feel that the fates are working towards Whittaker right here. First, lacking out on the possibility to beat the undefeated Chimaev—a feat that might have all however assured him a shot to regain the middleweight belt—after which being compelled to tackle an opponent who has much more to realize from their matchup than he does. Aliskerov isn’t as one-dimensional because the likes of Costa or Vettori both. Not solely is he an amazing wrestler, as you’d anticipate from his Dagestani background, he has a potent combination of endurance and energy on the ft.
Aliskerov solely wants a sliver of a gap to land a tough shot and even the sturdy Whittaker can solely take so a lot of these. I see Aliskerov shaking off a sluggish begin earlier than pouring on the stress and discovering a end in Spherical 2 or 3.
Choose: Aliskerov
Sergei Pavlovich (3) vs. Alexander Volkov (7)
I anticipate Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov to comply with the same rhythm to my Whittaker-Aliskerov prediction, however with the top arriving a lot sooner.
You understand what Pavlovich is right here to do. He’s going to come back ahead along with his palms primed, stroll you down, and as soon as he’s inside vary he’s swinging for the fences. As a rule he’s the hammer, not the nail, and previous to the loss to Tom Aspinall he’d racked up six straight first-round finishes. In reality, Pavlovich hasn’t seen a second spherical in seven years.
Volkov isn’t any stranger to defusing heavy hitters, starting from Tai Tuivasa to Jairzinho Rozenstruik to Alistair Overeem. He makes use of his attain so nicely that despite the fact that he’s truly giving up a couple of inches to Pavlovich, he ought to nonetheless have the benefit once they’re working from mid-range. It’s simply that he most likely can’t preserve Pavlovich at that vary for lengthy.
It’s the underrated quickness of Pavlovich that’s actually going to provide Volkov issues. After touchdown a couple of good long-distance photographs early on, he’s going to seek out himself along with his again to the fence and Pavlovich bearing down on him. Then it’s wham, bam, and you realize the remainder.
Pavlovich by first-round knockout.
Choose: Pavlovich
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Get it collectively, Kelvin Gastelum.
As of late, any evaluation of a Gastelum struggle requires a point out of his battle with slicing weight. Even supporters of the veteran must be annoyed along with his failure to handle the size at this level and questioning how these issues have an effect on him on struggle night time. Respectfully, there might be any variety of components that interfered with Gastelum’s preparation and we actually want him one of the best, however when you require supreme circumstances to chop all the way down to a required weight, that weight class most likely isn’t for you.
With that grievance out of the best way, I’m going towards my higher judgement right here and selecting Gastelum to attain an in depth resolution win over Daniel Rodriguez. Type-wise they’re a great match, however Gastelum’s capability to push the tempo for quarter-hour is his greatest asset. It’s totally doable that Rodriguez jabs and counters Gastelum into oblivion, too, there’s not quite a bit separating the fighters right here.
Gastelum’s exercise will get him the nod as we make a journey to splitty metropolis.
Choose: Gastelum
Shara Magomedov vs. Antonio Trocoli
First, let’s share the reduction that Antonio Trocoli should be feeling now that he’s this shut to creating his UFC dream change into a actuality. Trocoli has suffered quite a few begins and stops in his journey since having a Contender Collection win overturned resulting from a constructive take a look at for the banned substance nandrolone. That is the third or fourth time that he’s been booked to make his debut, I’ve truly misplaced rely at this level. He even missed out on the possibility to get smashed by Aliskerov final Saturday!
However he’s right here now and as soon as once more finds himself in a matchup the place he’s a heavy underdog, this time towards extremely vaunted striker Shara Magomedov. The hype round “Shara Bullet” is substantial, stemming from his dynamic placing model, quirky persona, and that signature proper eye (the results of a years-old damage). Magomedov confronted a stiff take a look at in his UFC debut, successful a choice towards a pesky Bruno Silva, so we’ll see if Trocoli proves to be a extra entertaining model matchup.
Trocoli has some grappling, however at a ginormous 6-foot-5, his primary technique is to make use of his 82-inch attain to befuddle his opponents on the ft. As you’d anticipate, that dimension comes with some disadvantages, noticeably within the velocity division. The springy Magomedov received’t take lengthy to determine Trocoli’s firing fee and when he realizes that Trocoli can’t match him strike-for-strike, he’ll search for the end.
This huge tree is about to fall down.
Choose: Magomedov
Johnny Walker (8) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (15)
The primary card opener pits two of the sunshine heavyweight division’s most unpredictable fighters towards each other. Johnny Walker seemed like he was turning a nook after a rocky begin to his time with SBG Eire, solely to fall to the superior Magomed Ankalaev; Volkan Oezdemir retains successful simply sufficient to maintain up-and-comers from taking his spot, however he’s in any other case misplaced a step as he approaches 30 professional bouts.
The excellent news is that none of that issues since these two are anticipated to hit one another actually laborious, probably so laborious that one doesn’t get again up. Walker isn’t any stranger to thrilling knockout strikes and Oezdemir flashed indicators of being a lightning-fast finisher when he first began with the UFC.
Ought to Oezdemir go to his wrestling to focus on considered one of of Walker’s supposed weaknesses? It may work, however on the identical time Oezdemir could need to belief himself to seek out Walker’s chin as many others have previously. If goofball Walker reveals up, a couple of laborious photographs from Oezdemir may straighten him out in a rush.
Then again, Walker’s generally unorthodox method to offense may have Oezdemir’s group scrambling for options. Sure, Walker has change into a extra typical fighter, however he nonetheless reveals flashes of the wild man that endeared him to followers within the first place.
Give me Oezdemir by resolution.
Choose: Oezdemir
Preliminaries
Nasrat Haqparast def. Jared Gordon
Muhammad Naimov def. Felipe Lima
Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Nicolas Dalby
Muin Gafurov def. Kyung Ho Kang
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov def. Brendson Ribeiro
Chang Ho Lee def. Xiao Lengthy
