Russia's Khamzat Chimaev will headline massive UFC Saudi card (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) ... [+]
The UFC’s first event in Saudi Arabia has an official date and main event.
The event will occur in Riyadh on June 22 and be headlined by a No. 1 contender’s match at middleweight between former champion Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev.
Whittaker is coming off an impressive victory over Paulo Costa in his last fight, his first since being defeated by the current champion Dricus Du Plessis via TKO in July 2023.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 23: Robert Whittaker poses during a UFC 290 media opportunity with Robert ... [+]
The undefeated Chimaev defeated former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman via majority decision in October 2023. He has been on a collision course for a title shot since he began running roughshod through the UFC in July 2020.
The matchup pits Chimaev, one of the best grapplers in the world, against Whittaker, one of the most skilled strikers in the middleweight division. According to UFC CEO Dana White, the winner will be Du Plessis' next challenger. Du Plessis won the title via a controversial split decision over Sean Strickland in January.
The main event is a fight that could easily be the co-main on most UFC pay-per-view cards. The first UFC show in Saudi Arabia was originally planned for March, but per a press release posted by Turki Alalshikh on X, it was pushed to June to ensure "the best caliber of talent will be available to participate."
In addition to Whittaker-Chimaev as the main event, the first UFC Saudi show will feature a top-10 heavyweight clash between Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov. The latter was announced as Jailton Almeida's next opponent at UFC 302, but that has been changed.
Almeida could still compete on the Newark card, but he will need a new opponent.
The card also features a welterweight battle between Kelvin Gastelum and Daniel Rodriguez, a light heavyweight clash between Johnny Walker and Volkan Oezdemir, and the next look at undefeated and intriguing Russian middleweight Shara Magomedov when he faces Ihor Potieria.
It seems this lineup satisfies the caliber of card the Saudis and the promotion wanted for the UFC's inaugural event in the country. Like most UFC events, the lineup of fights also furthers the year-long story toward championship contention in multiple divisions.
