The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia receives the first heavy blow in the Wolf’s debut for #UFCSaudiArabia, after Dana White announced that Hamzat Chimaev had withdrawn from the main event against Robert Whittaker.
UFC CEO Dana White announced the changes in a video on social media on Thursday evening.
Dana Witt announces that Hamzat Chimaev has withdrawn from facing Whittaker in UFC Saudi Arabia
دانا ويت يعلن انسحاب حمزة شيماييف من مواجهة ويتاكر في UFC السعودية بسبب مرض عنيف.#UFCSaudiArabia. pic.twitter.com/EniD9zdsxb
— mmamag.ma (@jamalsoussi10) June 14, 2024
The Russian fighter was pulled from his co-main event bout on ESPN 58 with Antonio Troccoli, facing Whittaker instead.
The Wolf, Hamzat Chimaev, was forced to withdraw from UFC Saudi Arabia, scheduled for June 22 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, due to what was described as a violent illness.
Ikram Aliskarov will replace Hamzat Chimaev in the main match on the card against Robert Whittaker.
Khamzat Chimaev’s manager has released a statement on his fighter’s withdrawal from the UFC Saudi Arabia main event.
These last few hours have been eventful for the UFC. The promotion was forced to urgently modify the main events of two big events.
Khamzat Chimaev, who is seriously ill according to Dana White, is currently hospitalized. The Chechen will therefore not be able to face middleweight number 3, Robert Whittaker, on June 22 in Saudi Arabia. Conor McGregor is also out, and will not be able to fight at UFC 303.
UFC leaders considered replacing Khamzat Chimaev with Nassourdine Imavov. Discussions have even started for a short notice from the Frenchman.
But the latter has just come out of a victory over Jared Cannonier (see the finish). It is therefore Ikram Aliskerov who will have the chance to face ‘The Reaper’.
News from Khamzat Chimaev
In a recent statement, Khamzat Chimaev’s team spoke about the fighter’s state of health.
“It is with great disappointment that we announce that Khamzat Chimaev has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight against 3rd ranked Robert Whittaker on June 22 in Riyadh.”
“The persistent illness that Khamzat battled for much of training camp could not be treated in time. He was in and out of the hospital several times. The condition was kept secret within the team as everyone was committed to finding a solution.
Khamzat Chimaev had a serious medical emergency. He is once again in the hospital. Prayers up. 🙏
كان خمزة شيمايف يعاني من حالة طوارئ طبية خطيرة. وهو مرة أخرى في المستشفى. صلوات تصل. 🙏 #UFCSaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/s13kjNuZ2H
— mmamag.ma (@jamalsoussi10) June 14, 2024
Although all possible options were carefully considered, the team mutually decided that it was not possible to continue this way. Entering the cage without being properly prepared against an opponent as formidable as Robert is unfortunately impossible.”
.@robwhittakermma vs Aliskerov LIVE and FREE on @ABCNetwork Saturday June 22nd @Turki_alalshikh #UFCSaudiArabia @RiyadhSeason #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/ERPDi5XEqT
— danawhite (@danawhite) June 13, 2024
Chimaev’s troubles off the octagon continue
For Chimaev, this is another setback in a career that has seen rapid ascension since his 2020 debut but has been marred by availability issues.
The undefeated fighter, whose last victory was a decision win over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in October, has struggled with health and visa complications.
His coach previously cited his Chechen nationality and Russian passport as barriers to competing in the United States, pushing the UFC to seek international venues for his fights.
The Saudi Arabia event was seen as an ideal platform for Chimaev’s return, potentially positioning him for a middleweight title shot.
