Chimaev out; Aliskerov to face Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia

June 15, 2024 5:12 am.by Cayne Pitstock

Whittaker v Aliskerov

The anticipated debut of the UFC in Saudi Arabia has hit a roadblock as Khamzat Chimaev is unable to compete against Robert Whittaker in the event.

Chimaev, who holds a record of 13-0 in MMA and 7-0 in the UFC, has had to pull out due to illness, causing a change in the lineup for the UFC scheduled for June 22nd at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

Ikram Aliskerov (17-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will now step up to take on Whittaker after being set to face Antonio Trocoli on the UFC Fight Night: Perez v Taira fight card.

The top MMA bookmakers have already opened up markets with ex-middle weight champ opening up as -156.25 favourite while Aliskerov will start as the +125 outsider.

This setback adds to Chimaev’s struggles with maintaining activity since his start in the UFC back in 2020.

Despite securing three wins within a period of 66 days post-debut, he has only fought once over the past two years.

A close victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 last October would have been on track for a title shot with a victory over former champion Whittaker.

With three cancelled bouts in 2 years, the title shot will now be in doubt for Chimaev as fans will wait to hear about his next bout.

Fans can also look forward to thrilling matchups, including a heavyweight clash between Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov.