Phil Hawes vs Ikram Aliskerov Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for UFC 288 (Aliskerov Leans on Endurance in UFC Debut)

Hawes vs Aliskerov Fight Info, Date & Time

UFC 288 — Preliminary Card Middleweight Bout
Phil Hawes (12-4-0, 8 KOs) vs. Ikram Aliskerov (13-1-0, 4 KOs)
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023
Fight Time: This will be on the preliminary card, which begins at 6 p.m. ET.
Venue: Prudential Center — Newark, NJ
Coverage: ESPN+, PPV

Hawes vs Aliskerov Odds & Prop Bets

All UFC 288 odds, lines and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline:
- Phil Hawes: (+168)
- Ikram Aliskerov: (-220)

Method of Victory:
- Hawes by KO/TKO: (TBD)
- Hawes by Points: (TBD)
- Hawes by Submission: (TBD)
- Aliskerov by KO/TKO: (TBD)
- Aliskerov by Points: (TBD)
- Aliskerov by Submission: (TBD)

Hawes vs Aliskerov Prediction

Phil Hawes was seen as a rising contender in the middleweight division thanks to four straight wins back in 2020-21, but he has since dropped two of his three bouts. While he has the skill set to beat anyone in his path, Hawes finds ways to end up on the losing end of seemingly winnable matchups.

The same thing cannot be said about Ikram Aliskerov. The 30-year-old was unbeaten until his ninth professional fight and has bounced back from that knockout loss with three straight victories. He is set to make his UFC debut on Saturday and should rely on his endurance to make an impression.

Hawes tends to go balls to the wall from the start and it can get him in trouble when facing a smooth operator that knows when to take advantage of an open opportunity. That's what happened against both Chris Curtis and Roman Dolidze. I expect more of the same against Aliskerov this time around.

Winner: Ikram Aliskerov (-220)

Hawes vs Aliskerov Best Bet

Bettors willing to drop a large wager to back Aliskerov at -220 odds should not hesitate to do so, but those looking for more reasonable odds should shift gears to the method of victory props. It's worth pointing out that all three of Hawes' professional losses in the UFC octagon have come via knockout.

I'm going to go a different way, though, as Aliskerov isn't known to have consistent knockout power and needs to overcome a reach disadvantage here. Instead, he has the defensive skills and the cardio to make Hawes work early on and then wear him down with each passing minute. Back a decision win.

Bet: Ikram Aliskerov by Decision (TBD)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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