Khamzat Chimaev will no longer fight in UFC Saudi Arabia against Robert Whittaker. The actual reason for withdrawing from his highly anticipated middleweight contender match against Whittaker remains unknown. However, it is assumed that Khamzat Chimaev’s health plays an important factor.
On Thursday night, June 13, 2024, the UFC declared that Chimaev would not be participating in the main event of the inaugural UFC card in the Kingdom. CEO Dana White disclosed that Ikram Aliskerov will be replacing Khamzat, who was “violently ill.”
Ikram Aliskerov (15-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who was scheduled to compete against Antonio Trocoli in the co-main event of this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event at the UFC Apex, will take Chimaev’s spot.
Khamzat Chimaev’s Manager and Ikram Aliskorev’s Coach Share Statement On Khamzat Chimaev’s Health Condition
Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas shared it on his Instagram handle, confirming Chimaev’s illness.
The UFC didn’t have to search far to find a replacement for Chimaev, as Ikram Aliskerov—who has only lost to Chimaev in his MMA career—answered the call despite having just over a week’s notice.
Aliskerov faces the former 185-pound champion in his third UFC fight, a significant step up in competition from his previous matchup against an unranked middleweight. Aliskerov stopped Warlley Alves in the opening round of his most recent fight in October.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MMA stories via Google! Follow Us
Ikram Aliskerov’s coach has also shared his statement on Khamzat’s health condition, “ There is an understanding here what happened to Khamzat, that is, they say that he has some kind of terrible disease, but considering how long Khamzat did not fight and how important the fight was for him, I think this is something serious. Because I think he would not miss the chance to fight in such a big deal if it was a minor problem.”
Khamzat Chimaev, 30, has had trouble competing in the last few years due to his rapid climb after making his debut in 2020. Since submitting Kevin Holland in September 2022, he has only participated in one fight, winning by majority decision over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in October. I
In October, one of Khamzat Chimaev’s instructors disclosed that “Borz” could not compete in the United States due to visa issues from his Russian passport and Chechen nationality, forcing the UFC to source fight cards for Chimaev elsewhere.
It was believed that Chimaev’s comeback matchup with Robert Whittaker—possibly a middleweight title eliminator—was ideal for the Saudi Arabia card. On the other hand, a picture from one of his sparring partners revealed Chimaev unwell in bed. Dana White reiterated that Chimaev was unwell and wished for his recovery.
