UFC 288: Hawes vs Aliskerov 05/06/2023 – Phil Hawes faces debuting Ikram Aliskerov in a three-round middleweight encounter in the early preliminaries of UFC 288 on Saturday, May 6, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Hawes looks to make up from that one-round knockout defeat at the hands of Roman Dolidze in October 2022. However, he will have his hands full against the Russian Aliskerov, who made his presence felt in Week 8 of the 2022 Dana White’s Contender Series by stopping Mario Felipe de Sousa in just one round. Online fight picks give Aliskerov a slight edge over the veteran Hawes due to his impressive record outside the UFC, where he has stopped nine in his 14 fights.
UFC 288: Hawes vs Aliskerov 05/06/2023
| When: | Saturday, May 6, 8:00 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Where: | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
| Stream: | UFC Fight Pass |
UFC 288: Hawes vs Aliskerov 05/06/2023 Odds
| Fighter | Odds | Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Hawes | +175 | Ikram Aliskerov | -238 |
Main Card
Phil Hawes
Phil Hawes (12-4, 4-2 UFC) steps into the octagon to bounce back from his previous setback, as he was knocked out in the first round by Dolidze. Hawes is known for his excellent finishing maneuvers and won 10 of his 12 fights via stoppage (eight knockouts and two submissions. The American fighter needs to use his veteran smarts to overcome Aliskerov, who is coming to the UFC with five straight wins. Hawes needs to dictate the pace to stand a chance of beating his Russian opponent.
Ikram Aliskerov
Ikram Aliskerov (13-1) will make his octagon debut after winning 13 of his 14 fights. Aliskerov’s lone defeat was against No3 welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev. The former world sambo champion looks to make an impression in the UFC by acing his first mission against Hawes. He has stopped nine of his 14 opponents, including four by knockout and five by submission. He made an impression in Week 8 of the Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2022 when he used a kimura submission to defeat de Sousa. A win would put him in the radar as one of the up-and-coming fighters in the UFC and would line him up for bigger matches in the future.
Hawes vs Aliskerov Betting Numbers
| Record | 4-1-0 | 13-1-0 |
| Last Fight | Loss | Win |
| Country | USA | Russia |
| Height | 6’0″ | 6’0″ |
| Weight (lbs) | 185 | 185 |
| Reach (in) | 77″ | N/A |
| Win by KO/TKO | 67% | 31% |
| Win by Submission | 17% | 38% |
| Decisions | 17% | 31% |
| Strikes landed per minute | 2.32 | N/A |
| Striking accuracy | 41% | N/A |
| Striking absorbed per minute | 4.77 | N/A |
| Striking defense | 48% | N/A |
| Takedown average | 2.05 | N/A |
| Takedown accuracy | 14% | N/A |
| Takedown defense | N/A | N/A |
| Submission average | 0 | N/A |
Hawes vs Aliskerov Betting Picks
Although he has the better record, Aliskerov is the underdog in this clash, as per MMA oddsmakers that cover every UFC bout since its early beginnings. Hawes is expected to use his experience inside the octagon to make the Russian uncomfortable. The American needs to sustain this attack to stand a good chance of winning the clash. As for Aliskerov, he should impress the judges to secure his first win in the octagon. He needs to dominate Hawes to earn the win and move up the rankings in the 185-pound category.
