Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to headline the UFC’s first occasion in Saudi Arabia with the prospect to punch his ticket to a middleweight title shot. Sadly, these plans modified this previous week.
Chimaev was set to make his first look of 2024 in a large battle in opposition to former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker this Saturday earlier than being compelled out of the bout with an sickness. Chimaev will now have to look at former opponent Ikram Aliskerov face Whittaker within the new headliner.
The undefeated Chimaev launched his first feedback following the withdrawal on his Instagram web page on Monday.
“We at all times plan one thing however Allah has his personal plans for us,” Chimaev wrote.
As of now, there aren’t any particulars surrounding Chimaev’s sickness, or a timeline of when he might be able to return to the octagon.
UFC CEO Dana White stated in his announcement of the brand new UFC Saudi Arabia foremost occasion that Chimaev fell “violently sick” in the course of the remaining stretches of preparation for Whittaker. Talking on The Jim Rome Present on Monday, White continued to acknowledge that, whereas additionally acknowledging that Chimaev’s previous few yr stretch has been fairly the thriller.
“I noticed this child on Struggle Island, he wished to battle the following weekend,” White stated. “I let him battle the following weekend. He seemed unimaginable. He’s been on this tear and these days it’s been laborious to get him into the octagon.
“Each time he will get near combating, he will get actually sick. I don’t know [how long he’s going to be out]. I don’t know what to say. It’s not like he’s over right here on this nation and we’ve had docs right here have a look at him or something like that. He’s form of out of contact so it’s powerful to take care of.”
“Borz” returned to motion following a 13-month layoff when he confronted former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 this previous October. After an unimaginable first spherical the place he mauled his opponent, issues bought a bit dicey over the following two rounds as Usman battled again to make it a really aggressive bout. In the long run, Chimaev earned a majority resolution to enhance his file to 13-0.
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