- UFC. Robert Whittaker Net Worth: How rich is the UFC star and how much he makes per fight?
- UFC. Conor McGregor offers evidence of the injury that pulled him out of UFC 303
UFC International Fight Week arrives this week with the highly-anticipated Fight Night card in Saudi Arabia featuring the clash between ex-UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskerov on Saturday.
The Australian was initially scheduled to fight Khamazt Chimaev before he withdrew with illness. As a result, Whittaker agreed to put his No. 3 spot in the UFC's official middleweight rankings on the line against Aliskerov, another a dangerous prospect from Russia.
Whittaker (26-7) is going all out to retrieve his title and in his more recent fights, he has an exceptional record of 14 wins and just three defeats, having been beaten by fellow champions Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya (on two occasions).
But the 33-year-old was left in no doubt whatsoever that, regardless of whether the title was on the cards without Chimaev, he is determined to overcome Aliskerov.
"Honestly, none of that has ever played a role or space in my mind," he told CBS Sports. "Winning opens doors, and that has been my philosophy since day one of my career. It hasn't changed now.
"Let me go in there, dig in and take Ikram's head off. That will lead me to where I want to go."
Aliskerov, who was drafted in at the last moment, itted it would be a challenge to triumph against Whittaker due to the lack of preparation given to him.
"There was very little time to decide and prepare," Aliskerov said through an interpreter. "If you factor in the really long flight, time difference and time change. But this is the sport. We are professional fighters and we have to be ready for any situation."
Who is the favorite out of Whittaker and Aliskerov to win?
According to the pre-fight odds, Whittaker has been listed as the sure-fire favorite to brush aside Aliskerov, 31.
The former title challenger has been instaled as a -145 favorite, with Aliskerov suitably priced at +125.
But given that Whittaker has only finished one of his last seven victories with a KO, there is a more favorable price offered for him to win by decision at +265 with BET99.