Dana White Announces Dagestani Replacement for Khamzat Chimaev at UFC Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has become a hotbed for sports, especially combat sports. The PFL had already debuted in the Kingdom, and now Dana White and the UFC have followed suit with the upcoming UFC Saudi Arabia. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker was the main event of the fight night. However, Chimaev has now pulled out due to illness.

White had already announced the fight for the number one contender spot. However, with Khamzat Chimaev out, the matchup will likely not have any title implications. The biggest victor of the situation is Sean Strickland, who now has an easy path to the title. However, a Dagestani fighter has replaced Chimaev and will have something to say about it.

Dana White announces Ikram Aliskerov as Khamzat Chimaev’s replacement

Robert Whittaker was willing to take on any comers after Khamzat Chimaev’s injury. Dana White announced Ikram Aliskerov as Chimaev’s replacement, and Whittaker willingly accepted. White revealed nobody except Whittaker agreed to fight Aliskerov in Riyadh.

Interestingly, Aliskerov already had a fight scheduled against Antonio Trocoli in the upcoming UFC Vegas 93. The Dagestani have pulled out of it for the high-profile battle against the former middleweight champion Whittaker. Ranked 3rd in the division, Whittaker has only lost to Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya at middleweight.

.@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

On the other hand, Aliskerov’s sole professional MMA loss was to Khamzat Chimaev at Brave CF 23. A victory over Whittaker will put Aliskerov in the top 5 of the middleweight rankings. He is only 2-0 in the UFC, with both victories coming via first-round finish.

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A dominant victory over Whittaker will likely put Aliskerov in title contention. If not, he will likely be in a number one contender fight against Sean Strickland, another former champion in the division. Whittaker was the underdog against Chimaev but is now a favorite against Aliskerov.

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Also Read: UFC Saudi Arabia Whittaker vs. Chimaev: Full Prelims Preview and Prediction