The odds for this fight dropped almost instantly with Whittaker as a slight -135 favorite and that seems spot on to me. He should be the favorite. He is far more accomplished, more battle tested, more well rounded and was already on that continent ready to fight. Ikram was night weight cut when he was told to pack up and fly to the other side of the world for a main event. Ikram was also preparing for a bum. The level of competition increase from Tricoli to Whittaker is insane and hopefully he didn't take it lightly. With all of that being said, I think Ikram wins here. His current wins are borderline trash and against some of the chinniest people on the roster. But Robert is also getting chinny and unlike Costa, I don't think Ikram would take his feet off the gas if he has Whittaker in trouble. The longer this fight goes the more it favors Whittaker so this may be a perfect live bet situation.

Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker is the former middleweight champion of the world. He is a very diverse striker with solid volume and very good takedowns. He is constantly mixing up his striking and movement patterns. He will lay out really heavy leg kicks and then immediately charge forward and chase the head. His only losses since 2014 are to Izzy and current champion Dricus. He has 12 takedowns in his last 6 fights to cement himself as one of the most well rounded guys in the UFC. He is coming off the decision win over Paulo Costa where he had to weather an early spinning back kick to survive.

Ikram Aliskerov

Ikram Aliskerov is a Russian wrestler who's hands have looked so good he hasn't needed to wrestle in the UFC. When he is wrestling he has nonstop pressure with constant body locks, tie ups and shots. When he gets you to the ground he is like an 8th layer of skin and is impossible to shake. His striking is quickly improving with a high guard, solid combinations and great power. He is coming off his 2nd first round KO in a row, this time over Warlley Alves.