UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov
Robert Whittaker lands a brutal left hand on Paulo Costa. Credit: MMA Fighting.
The UFC returns to Saudi Arabia with a stacked Fight Night card. In the co-main event, two heavy-hitting Russian strikers look to settle some personal issues inside the cage when Alexander Volkov takes on Sergei Pavlovich. In the main event, two highly skilled fighters match up on short notice, Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskerov. From top to bottom, this card is filled with finishers and fantastic matchups. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.
#7 Johnny Walker vs. #9 Volkan Oezdemir
Johnny Walker launches into a flying knee on Anthony Smith. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Light Heavyweight Bout
Johnny Walker: 21-8-0, 16 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Volkan Oezdemir: 19-7-0, 12 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Walker has won three of his last five fights with one No Contest and has wins over #8 ranked Light Heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-5-0), #10 ranked Light Heavyweight Anthony Smith (38-19-0), and Ryan Spann (21-10-0). With 17 finishes in the first round, he’s clearly at his most dangerous early on. Although very wild upon his promotional debut, he’s become more technical, preferring to stay at range, primarily using his kicks to land damage. Walker is constantly moving and using feints and is at his best when moving forward and leading the fight, often struggling when put on the back foot. He doesn’t seem interested in getting into brawls anymore and is much better off in a technical kickboxing match than a wild scrap. Training at SBG Ireland, he is enormous at 6’6”, even for a Light Heavyweight, and uses his size and reach to keep out of his opponent’s range and land strikes. Although Walker won’t typically take it to the mat, he has a 100% takedown success rate and a solid submission game.
Volkan Oezdemir stuns Paul Craig with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Oezdemir has won two of his last five outings and holds victories over #4 ranked Light Heavyweight Aleksander Rakic (14-4-0), Paul Craig (17-6-1), and Bogdan Guskov (16-3-0). He has a background in kickboxing and held a 5-0 record professionally before entering MMA. While he primarily uses his hands and fights in the pocket, he has powerful kicks and particularly devastating leg kicks. Despite his phonebox-fighting style, Oezdemir stays relatively composed, usually returning to the center of the octagon and resetting after attacking. Training at Allstars Training Center, he has a solid chin and is willing to eat a shot to land one, but he also possesses good head movement. He occasionally initiates grappling exchanges, primarily preferring to remain on the feet, and has denied 80% of takedowns attempted on him in his UFC career. With 12 finishes in the first round, Oezdemir earned the nickname “No Time” and is at his most dangerous early on.
Shara Magomedov vs. Antonio Troccoli
Shara Magomedov cracks Bruno Silva with a head kick. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Middleweight Bout
Shara Magomedov: 12-0-0, 10 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Antonio Troccoli: 12-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Magomedov is undefeated and has a UFC victory over Bruno Silva (23-11-0). He’s a devastating striker with a fantastic arsenal of kicks. He’s constantly moving and switching stances, never remaining in one spot for long. Magomedov is devastating at range, peppering his opponent with lead leg attacks before blitzing in to throw bombs. Training at GOR MMA, he rarely initiates grappling exchanges, often accepting position on his back and throwing strikes. He regularly looks to land spinning attacks, particularly elbows and backfists. Magomedov has three wins within the first minute of the fight and always comes out guns blazing.
Antonio Troccoli celebrates following a stoppage over Kenneth Bergh. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Trocoli has won two of his last five bouts with one no-contest and is making his UFC debut. An explosive grappler, he won’t waste much time on the feet before shooting a takedown. He uses his length well on the feet, throwing bombs and long straights before closing the distance. Trocoli has excellent trips and throws inside the clinch and advances position quickly on the ground. He’s efficient in top position, rarely wasting energy or putting himself in bad positions. Training at Full House MMA, he’s constantly hunting for submissions and has excellent chokes and backtakes. Trocoli grinds out his opponents in the first round and heats up as the fight continues, with most of his finishes coming in round two or three.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Kelvin Gastelum stuns Israel Adesanya with a jab. Credit: EssentiallySports.
Middleweight Bout
Kelvin Gastelum: 18-9-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 Sub,
Daniel Rodriguez: 17-4-0, 8 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Gastelum has won two of his last five fights and has victories over former UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping (30-9-0), Chris Curtis (31-11-0), and Jacare Souza (26-10-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter who’s highly durable and comfortable wherever the fight goes. He’s constantly moving and feinting on the feet, never staying in one spot or keeping his head on the centerline for long. Gastelum is willing to eat a shot to land one and has solid power, throwing every shot in combination and with purpose. Training at Fight Ready, he’s averaging about one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and has a black belt in BJJ. He has heavy ground and pound and dangerous chokes, with three of his four submissions coming via rear naked choke. Gastelum has earned eight bonuses in his ten-year promotional tenure and is never in a boring fight, win or lose.
Daniel Rodriguez cracks Kevin Lee with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Rodriguez has won three of his last outings and has UFC victories over Mike Perry (14-8-0), Tim Means (33-16-1), and Li Jingliang (19-8-0). He’s an excellent Muay Thai striker who favors kicks over punches. He remains technical throughout the fight, fighting behind his jab and always pushing for a finish without getting sloppy. Training at Syndicate MMA, Rodriguez has great movement and footwork on the feet, attacking from different angles with a variety of strikes. He has exceptionally fast kicks, usually throwing to the legs at the beginning and end of combinations. He’s proven highly durable, regularly surviving in deep waters and finding his way back into fights. Rodriguez is unlikely to initiate grappling but has solid takedown defense and does an excellent job of getting back to his feet where he’s most comfortable.
#3 Sergei Pavlovich vs. #5 Alexander Volkov
Sergei Pavlovich blasts Curtis Blaydes with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Heavyweight Bout
Sergei Pavlovich: 18-2-0, 15 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Alexander Volkov: 37-10-0, 24 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Pavlovich has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes (18-4-0), #10 ranked Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa (15-7-0), and #11 ranked Heavyweight Derrick Lewis (28-12-0). One of the most destructive punchers in the sport, he comes out guns blazing, on the hunt for a knockout the second the fight begins. He tends to fight behind his jab and throw in combination, constantly pressuring forward. Pavlovich never throws kicks, always looking to close the distance and let his hands go inside the pocket. Training at American Top Team, he doesn’t need much space to do significant damage and throws everything with bad intentions. He has one-shot knockout power, with all fifteen of his knockouts coming in round one. Pavlovich hasn’t left the first round in nine fights and has the third-highest significant strikes landed per minute in UFC history at 8.21.
Alexander Volkov lands a damaging head kick on Greg Hardy. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Volkov has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Heavyweight Marcin Tybura (25-8-0), #12 ranked Heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik (14-5-0), and #13 ranked Heavyweight Alexandr Romanov (17-3-0). He is a lengthy, technical striker who can land damage at range or inside. He has solid footwork and head movement, tending to skirt along the outside of the cage while picking his opponents apart. Volkov is highly accurate and throws everything with purpose, always keeping his shots tight and straight. His best weapons are his front kick and right straight, which he’s constantly looking to set up. Training with Strela Team, he’s powerful inside the clinch and uses his length very well, making him particularly hard to take down. Volkov possesses classic heavyweight cardio; he keeps his power across all 15 minutes, but his pace decreases as the fight continues.
#3 Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov
Robert Whittaker connects with a powerful right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Middleweight Bout
Robert Whittaker: 26-7-0, 10 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Ikram Aliskerov: 15-1-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Whittaker has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (17-6-0), #5 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-7-1), and #8 ranked Paulo Costa (14-4-0). He is an excellent, technical striker in perpetual motion, constantly bouncing and throwing in combination. Utilizing his karate background, he has fantastic lead leg attacks and throws all his shots tight and straight. Training at PMA Martial Arts, Whittaker varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly and never overextending or getting sloppy. He’s elusive, never staying in one spot for long, and always keeps his head off the centerline. He does an excellent job mixing kicks into combinations, making them extremely hard to predict or see before they land. Whittaker has great cardio and remains composed throughout, easily able to go for 25 minutes.
Ikram Aliskerov lights up Warlley Alves along the fence. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Aliskerov has won all his last five fights and has a UFC victory over Phil Hawes (12-5-0) and Warlley Alves (15-8-0). He’s a well-rounded, technical fighter who pushes a consistent pace and is always dangerous. He never telegraphs his attacks, fights behind his jab, and throws everything in combination. Training with the KHK MMA Team, Aliskerov is a former world champion in Sambo and has excellent top control, typically holding half guard and landing brutal ground and pound. He passes quickly and has impressive reversals, often denying takedowns and ending up on top. He does most of his damage on the inside with his punches but has heavy kicks and well-timed knees. Aliskerov has one-shot knockout power and has finished four of his last five fights.
Best Bets
Johnny Walker Moneyline: This is one of the more interesting matchups on the card. Although Walker has reigned in his style significantly, he’s vastly more wild than the highly technical Oezdemir. They have extremely opposing styles and paces, with Walker pushing a frenetic pace while Oezdemir is more comfortable in a slower pace, technical kickboxing match. Oezdemir has struggled when pushed hard, and that’s exactly what I expect Walker’s gameplan to be. Walker should stay in his face from the opening bell, and if he does, he should secure a finish.
Sergei Pavlovich by KO/TKO: There is some personal beef involved in this fight, which always increases the intensity inside the cage. Considering both already push a very heavy pace, I can’t imagine the intensity when they both collide in the octagon. With that said, a wild brawl is definitely to the benefit of Pavlovich. He has the power advantage over nearly anyone in the division, and likely doesn’t have to concern himself with defending takedowns in this matchup. Assuming Volkov uses his typical striking style, Pavlovich should be able to get past the kicks and lengthy striking and do what he does best: land bombs inside the pocket. If he gets his hands going early as he tends to do, I don’t think Volkov will be able to weather the storm for long.
Robert Whittaker Moneyline: Due to the short-notice scheduling of this bout, neither man had much time to prepare for each other. While Aliskerov is an exceptional fighter, this will be just his third appearance in the UFC. He’s had two fantastic performances, but wasn’t facing the highest-level competition, certainly not the caliber of Whittaker. This is a similar situation to Benoit Saint Denis facing Dustin Poirier: while highly talented, he simply wasn’t ready for that significant of a jump up the rankings. Whittaker is a perennial title contender and has been consistently facing the best of the best for a long time. Whittaker is on a higher level, and I expect him to back that up with an impressive victory on Saturday.
