"Khamzat Chimaev could not take him down" - Renato Moicano shares prediction for Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov

Robert Whittaker is set to make his return to the octagon this weekend when he headlines the UFC's first trip to Saudi Arabia. The No. 3-ranked middleweight will face Ikram Aliskerov after Khamzat Chimaev, his initial opponent, was forced to withdraw from the bout with what has been described as a persistent illness. Renato Moicano recently revealed his predictions for the upcoming main event bout.

Speaking on his Money Moicano podcast, the No.10-ranked lightweight stated:

"Very hard thing to do to take Robert Whittaker [down], but guess what, if somebody can do that, it's Ikram Aliskerov. Even though his only loss is to Khamzat Chimaev, Khamzat Chimaev could not take him down. That shows the level of wrestling of Ikram Aliskerov. Of course, that was not a fight that everybody wants to watch, but it's the fight we got and in my opinion, I have Ikram Aliskerov winning the fight."

Moicano continued:

"I saw him at the gym all the time. I think Robert Whittaker is great and great takedown defense. He fought [Yoel] Romero, he fought [Ronaldo] 'Jacare' [Souza], but I think Ikram Aliskerov is on another level with the grappling, the Dagestani wrestling, the Sambo, combos, I think he's going to be too much."

Check out Renato Moicano's comments on Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov below (starting at the 10:25 mark):

The unranked Aliskerov will have the toughest challenge - and biggest opportunity - of his mixed martial arts career. While it is just his third fight since earning a UFC contract on 'Dana White's Contender Series' back in September 2022, he will have the chance to enter the top five of the middleweight rankings - and title contention - if he can get past Whittaker.

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Israel Adesanya shares prediction for Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov

Israel Adesanya has shared the octagon with Robert Whittaker twice with the middleweight title on the line, winning via second-round knockout at UFC 243 and unanimous decision at UFC 271. His first-hand experience facing 'The Reaper' has led him to back the No.3-ranked middleweight in his upcoming bout against Ikram Aliskerov.

Speaking on his FREESTYLEBENDER podcast, the two-time middleweight champion stated:

"Big step-up in competition though against Rob. Rob's a former champion, still on the hunt, still dangerous. I'm picking Rob in this fight. I think Rob is gonna beat the breaks off of this guy. Maybe from round two onwards. I think Rob gets passed round one, he starts to put it on this guy and he's gonna feel a different beast... I just know how good Rob is, so I'm gonna go Rob probably [round] three or four, TKO."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments on Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov below (starting at the 7:02 mark):

Aliskerov has a professional mixed martial arts record of 15-1. While his background is in combat sambo, his striking has looked impressive in two fights in the UFC. Whittaker will be a big step up in competition, however, as the former middleweight champion holds a 25-7 record and has been fighting top-level competition since joining the UFC in 2012.