Oh boy, here we go. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is making its grand entrance into Saudi Arabia. And guess what? They’re not coming quietly.
At the heart of the action? A showdown that’s got everyone talking. Dana White, the big boss of UFC, dropped the news late one Wednesday night. Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker are going toe-to-toe in a middleweight clash that’s got fireworks written all over it. That’s not all, folks.
The co-main event? It’s a heavyweight brawl featuring Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov. Plot twist: Volkov was supposed to face Jailton Almeida at UFC 302. Plans change, I guess.
But wait, there’s more. White’s also confirmed a trio of bouts that are sure to keep us on the edge of our seats. We’ve got Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez, Johnny Walker vs. Volkan Oezdemir, and Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Ihor Potieria. All set to light up the night in Saudi Arabia.
Dana White’s promise? “This card is going to be badass from top to bottom.” He’s calling it historic. Their first-ever show from the Kingdom. And it’s all going down live on ABC.
Now, let’s rewind a bit. This event was originally slated for March 2. But, the powers that be in Saudi Arabia weren’t exactly thrilled with the lineup. So, a little postponement, and voila, we’ve got UFC Fight Night 238 at the UFC Apex in Vegas instead. Jairzinho Rozenstruik came out on top against Shamil Gaziev in that one.
Chimaev, by the way, is unbeaten. Thirteen wins, no losses. He’s coming off a win against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. The guy’s a machine, with victories over Kevin Holland, Gilbert Burns, and Jingliang Li under his belt.
Then there’s Whittaker. The former middleweight champ nailed a win against Paulo Costa at UFC 298. He’s been with UFC since 2012 and has a record of 16-5.
Pavlovich? He’s itching to get back in the ring after a knockout loss to Tom Aspinall at UFC 295. Before that, he was on a six-fight knockout streak.
And Volkov? He’s on a three-win streak, coming off a victory against Tai Tuivasa at UFC 293.
BOOOOOOM! Dana White’s tweet says it all. UFC’s Saudi Arabia debut is set to be a showstopper. Whittaker vs. Chimaev, live and free on ABC, June 22nd. Can’t wait.