Ikram Aliskerov is currently unranked at 185 pounds.
Nevertheless, the once-beaten Russian phenom has the sportsbooks spooked, which may explain why Aliskerov (15-1) opened as a mere +110 underdog against former champion Robert Whittaker (25-7), who started as the -130 betting favorite.
Aliskerov replaced the ailing Khamzat Chimaev.
Money has since trickled in for “The Reaper” and the current betting line has Whittaker at -136 against +116 for Aliskerov, according to BetOnline.ag. Their five-round headliner takes place atop the UFC Saudi Arabia fight card on ABC this Sat. (June 22) in Riyadh.
More odds and betting lines for “Whittaker vs. Aliskerov” below:
Money Line:
Robert Whittaker -136
Ikram Aliskerov +116
Over/Under:
O 2.5 -150
U 2.5 +120
Goes the Distance:
Yes +195
No -250
Method of Victory:
Robert Whittaker by Points +265
Robert Whittaker by Submission +1600
Robert Whittaker by KO/TKO or DQ +215
Ikram Aliskerov by Points +600
Ikram Aliskerov by Submission +650
Ikram Aliskerov by KO/TKO or DQ +215
Draw +6600
Round Betting:
Robert Whittaker in Round 1 +700
Robert Whittaker in Round 2 +900
Robert Whittaker in Round 3 +1100
Robert Whittaker in Round 4 +1400
Robert Whittaker in Round 5 +2000
Ikram Aliskerov in Round 1 +475
Ikram Aliskerov in Round 2 +700
Ikram Aliskerov in Round 3 +1000
Ikram Aliskerov in Round 4 +1500
Ikram Aliskerov in Round 5 +2000
“My coach said ‘[Khamzat] Chimaev is out’ and there was a bit of turmoil at the time,” Whittaker told ESPN. “But he understood what I wanted, he understands that I am in the fight game and I’m here to fight, so he said ‘leave it with me, I’ll talk with the UFC.’ My team went and spoke with the UFC and we organized it and now I’m fighting on Saturday still, so it’s all good.”
“It all happened pretty quickly, and I’m blessed in the fact that my team and management, the UFC themselves, and even Ikram that it all came together and I was still able to fight,” Whittaker continued. “A week out not many people are in a position to take that fight, so I would have done all that work for nothing and it would have been quite upsetting because this is my career, this is how I put bread on the table. So, I’m just very blessed and thankful that everything got across the line.”
To see who else is fighting at UFC Saudi Arabia click here.