Khamzat Chimaev will combat previous middleweight champ Robert Whittaker in the heading tourist attraction of the UFC’s launching card in Saudi Arabia, Dana White verified over night.
The bout will act as a top competitor match for Dricus du Plessis’ middleweight title, and will Chimaev’s 2nd leading competitor battle in succession after formerly beating Kamaru Usman in a three-round choice in Abu Dhabi in October. Chimaev, however, was leapfrogged in the list of competitors at 185-pounds by Du Plessis, who beat Sean Strickland for the champion in Canada in January.
Whittaker, the previous middleweight champ, will get in the bout on the back of a choice triumph versus Paulo Costa last month.
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
UFC is heading to Saudi Arabia for the very first time with a BAD ASS card, headlined by Whittaker vs Chimaev LIVE and FREE on ABC on June 22nd pic.twitter.com/2OZW2AEmLH
— danawhite (@danawhite) March 28, 2024
“On Saturday, June 22nd, we’ll be going to Saudi Arabia,” White stated in a video published to social networks. “Our very first battle in the Kingdom will be a Fight Night that will air live and complimentary on ABC. In the primary occasion will be previous middleweight champ Robert Whittaker versus 13-0 unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev to see who will be the top competitor for the UFC middleweight champion.”
White likewise exposed a multitude of other battles arranged to happen on the card. We’ve got Johnny Walker versus Volkan Oezdemir
“The co-main occasion, the number 3 ranked knockout artist Sergey Pavlovich versus the number 6 ranked Alexander Volkov. Kelvin Gastelum will be taking on Daniel Rodriguez.”
White included: “This card is going to badass from leading to bottom. It’s going to be historical; it’s our first-ever program from the Kingdom.”
Saudi Arabia has in current years looked for to develop itself as a hotbed of fight sports, hosting a variety of high profile boxing matches in addition to creating a relationship with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) to host occasions on its area.
The UFC’s launching program in the area mean the facility of a wider relationship in between the organisation and choice makers in the Middle East, and follows the promo’s currently developed relate to Abu Dhabi.
