The time has finally come and we're ready for the Main Event at UFC Saudi Arabia as we bring you a betting prediction and pick for this high-stakes bout in the Middleweight (185) Division. Australia's favorite son and No. 3 Robert Whittaker will take on the surging prospect of Russia's Ikram Aliskerov. Check out our UFC odds series for our Whittaker-Aliskerov prediction and pick.

Robert Whittaker (25-7) has gone 16-5 during his UFC career en route to becoming a former champion. He's split his last four contests at 2-2, but the only people to have beaten Whittaker at 185 remain as Adesanya and Du Plessis. He comes into this bout following a masterclass performance over Paulo Costa and he'll look to continue rising his stock in this one. Whittaker stands 6'0″ with a 73.5-inch reach.

Ikram Aliskerov (15-1) has gone 2-0 through his first UFC action thus far. He impressed with a first-round kimura submission in Dana White’s Contender Series and has followed it up with two knockout finishes on the UFC stage. After a shake-up with recent fights, he steps into this Main Event spot looking to take a massive leap in the standings. Aliskerov stands 6’0″ with a 76-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Saudi Arabia Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC Saudi Arabia Odds: Robert Whittaker-Ikram Aliskerov Odds

Robert Whittaker: -155

Ikram Aliskerov: +135

Over 2.5 rounds: -165

Under 2.5 rounds: +135

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Why Robert Whittaker Will Win

Robert Whittaker is making another return to UFC action following his massive win over Paulo Costa at UFC 298. He's still very much in the title conversation and was slated to face Khamzat Chimaev in a title-eliminating fight for this Main Event. We're fully aware of Chimaev's health issues at this point and the UFC had to shuffle things around and give Whittaker a new opponent. His new opponent in Aliskerov is certainly a different fight from what he was expecting, but he'll come into the fight as the betting favorite and the fighter with more experience this time around.

Robert Whittaker can win this fight if he shows up ready to mix his original gameplan from facing Chimaev. Whittaker's greatest skill is his ability to move in-and-out of range while hitting his jabs up the middle. He's also extremely hard to land clean on and will keep coming towards his opponent throughout the whole fight. While Aliskerov is a skilled wrestler, Robert Whittaker will be able to counter with his jiu jitsu and elite ground game. Still, this is a very dangerous fight for Whittaker and he'll have to stay sharp while staying defensively sound if he wants success here.

Why Ikram Aliskerov Will Win

Ikram Aliskerov is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak and all of his three UFC appearances thus far have been highlighted by exciting finishes. He’s a typical Russian-style wrestler who can keep his opponents down and land devastating ground-and-pound. Five of his wins have come by way of submission and he’s very technical when locking chokes. Aliskerov is also very polished on the feet and is willing to box his way to a finish as well. He’s very good in the clinch with his knees and he’s even adept at throwing leg kicks to all levels from in close.

Although it's still early into his UFC run, Ikram Aliskerov seems poised to accept this challenge and the betting lines indicate he'll be a formidable foe for the former champion. His striking may be a tad behind Whittaker's, but he has a chance to test his grappling and make a statement by getting this fight to the mat early. If Aliskerov can control Whittaker on the ground and land meaningful shots, it would give him confidence to keep chasing the takedowns and making Whittaker work to get back up. This will be Aliskerov's first time fighting in a Main Event.

Final Robert Whittaker-Ikram Aliskerov Prediction & Pick

Although we won't be able to see Khamzat Chimaev make his return against Robert Whittaker, the UFC did a great job in finding a similar and worthy opponent for the former champion. Robert Whittaker looked to be in fantastic form when fighting Paulo Costa and it could be an indication that he's gearing-up for another title run. Ikram Aliskerov has proven to be a terrifying prospect and by beating Whittaker, he could propel himself to an eventual title-eliminator fight.

Robert Whittaker will have to be perfect with his striking as he looks to avoid the length of Aliskerov. Whittaker is better on his feet and should look to use as much of the octagon as possible. It'll be interesting to see how he fends-off the takedowns from his opponent, but don't be surprised if he's able to reverse positions and find his own offense from there.

Ikram Aliskerov is arguably the most dangerous two-fight prospect you can find and he'll pose a similar look to Whittaker as that of Chimaev. He may need to use his wrestling sooner rather than later, but his tested chin and ability to stand on the feet should serve him well during this new fight.

For our prediction, we have to ride with Robert Whittaker simply for his experience and ability to pivot game plans when facing a new opponent. The only fighters to have beaten him at 185 are Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis, so this won't be a look he hasn't seen before. He also has the edge in experience when it comes to five-round fights, so we like him to get the job done here and find the win.

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Final Robert Whittaker-Ikram Aliskerov Prediction & Pick: Robert Whittaker (-155)