A notable fight on the UFC Qatar Prelims is between Bekzat Almakhan and Aleksandre Topuria. Almakhan is coming off a first-round knockout over Brad Katona at UFC 315 in May while having a 12-2 record with 11 finishes. He is up against Aleksandre Topuria, who is the brother of current UFC Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria. Aleksandre Topuria beat Colby Thicknesse in his UFC debut at UFC 312 in February.
Here is my prediction for Bekzat Almakhan vs. Aleksandre Topuria at UFC Qatar.
Aleksandre Topuria Moneyline (-125)
Being the brother of one of the world’s best fighters, Topuria has added pressure to deliver in the Octagon. Even though Ilia is a two-division champion and has 10 more fights left in his career, Aleksandre is actually his older brother by one year. That is because Aleksandre helped Ilia in his career before beginning his own journey in the sport.
Topuria is a slight -125 favorite with Almakhan being a +105 underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook. Both fighters in this fight stand 5’7″ with a 68″ standing reach.
Aleksandre will have Ilia Topuria in his corner for this fight against Almakhan. Like his brother, Topuria is a versatile fighter, with three knockouts and two submissions in his career. Before his last decision victory, Topuria recorded three consecutive knockouts. Topuria will likely be more aggressive in his second UFC fight, but he must be careful, as he is a powerful striker as well. Until a Topuria loses in the UFC, it will be hard to go against them.
