The inaugural UFC event in Saudi Arabia is set for June 22 with a main event featuring a middleweight clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker, as revealed by Dana White, the president of the organization, on Wednesday night.
The UFC Fight Night will be broadcast for free on ABC.
Chimaev and Whittaker will duke it out to determine the top contender for the middleweight title held by Dricus Du Plessis, White confirmed.
Chimaev (13-0) has not been in the ring since his victory over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in October.
He had been vying for a title match against Du Plessis at UFC 300 in April, but Du Plessis sustained leg injuries when he claimed the title from Sean Strickland in their January UFC 297 bout. Du Plessis mentioned to ESPN earlier this month that he is anticipating being fit by mid-2024.
Whittaker (26-7), a past middleweight titleholder, is fresh off a unanimous decision triumph over Paulo Costa in February. This fight marked his initial appearance since a TKO defeat to Du Plessis in July 2023.
White also divulged the lineup for four other bouts on the Saudi Arabia fight card: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov, Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez, Johnny Walker vs. Volkan Oezdemir, and Shara Magomedov vs. Ihor Potieria.
Source: www.espn.com