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Manager Shares Khamzat Chimaev Health Update after UFC Saudi Arabia Withdrawal

"Borz" was scheduled to headline UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22.

Drew Beaupre

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

Khamzat Chimaev’s manager has shared an update with fans after the unbeaten middleweight was forced to withdraw from his UFC Saudi Arabia main event with Robert Whittaker.

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Currently sitting at #10 in the UFC middleweight rankings, Chimaev was set for arguably the biggest fight of his career when he was matched up with former champion Whittaker in the headlining bout of a stacked UFC Fight Night card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Combats sports fans were caught off guard when it was announced that health issues had forced Chimaev out of that fight just over a week from the event, and the 30-year-old’s manager Majdi Shammas took to Instagram to explain the situation and update fans on Chimaev’s health.

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Losing one half of the UFC Saudi Arabia main event on such short notice was a massive blow to the card, but luckily Chimaev’s former opponent Ikram Aliskerov was preparing for a co-main event bout against Antonio Trócoli this weekend in Las Vegas and was quickly slotted in to square off with Whittaker on June 22.

The short-notice opponent change is a big opportunity for Aliskerov, as the 31-year-old has already collected two UFC victories but has seen several matchups with ranked middleweight opposition fall through since making his promotional debut last year.

Chimaev’s team certainly seem to have made the right choice in prioritizing their fighter’s health, and hopefully “Borz” is able to make a full recovery and resume his march towards UFC title contention sooner rather than later.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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