Dana White dropped a bombshell in the early hours of June 27-28 with the announcement of a new event … one that many believe already surpasses the UFC 301 card in Rio de Janeiro. Robert Whittaker (25-7-0) and Khamzat Chimaev (13-0-0) will face each other this June. Specifically, on 22 June… in Saudi Arabia.
White added that the winner of the fight will get a shot at the middleweight belt against Du Plessis (22-2-0). Other fights on the card include Sergei Pavlovich vs Alexander Volkov, Kelvin Gastelum vs Daniel Rodriguez, Volkan Oezdemir vs Johnny Walker and Shara Magomedov vs Ihor Potieria.
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But the bombshell is served, and everyone wanted to see Chimaev. The Chechen-born fighter (who once fought under the Swedish flag and now fights under the UAE flag) is one of the company’s most media-friendly members on social media… although he’s ranked 11th in his division and has yet to be crowned. But he is 7-0-0 in the UFC, with five KO’s. It’s a sight to see him fight.
Chimaev, moreover, returns for the first time since September 2022, when he defeated former champion Kamaru Usman . Back in the day, moreover, in 2021, he was close to retirement due to his persistent Covid-19 symptoms. He even announced it on social media to the surprise of his fans. But Dana White talked to him and convinced him to continue. “And this means that Khamzat is not leaving, HE STAYS AND WILL FIGHT TO THE END!” he exclaimed at the time.
Whitakker, meanwhile, has an incredible career record and is coming off a win at UFC 298 Ilia Topuria vs. Volkanovski over Paulo Costa.
It will be another stern test at Middleweight for Chimaev. He moved up from welterweight to meet Usman and beat him going from strength to strength. Swe will face one of the ‘tough’ guys of the weight and a test to know if he can be a contender for the belt.
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