Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently booked a five-round main event between undefeated middleweight phenom Khamzat Chimaev and former 185-pound titleholder Robert Whittaker, locked and loaded for the UFC Saudi Arabia fight card on Sat., June 22, 2024 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

UFC CEO Dana White broke the news on social media.

Chimaev (13-0) has not seen action since capturing a majority decision victory over ex-welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman as part of the UFC 294 pay-per-view (PPV) last fall, his lone appearance after strangling Kevin Holland at UFC 279 back in late 2022.

Something tells me the powers that be will be satisfied the second time around.

Whittaker (25-7), four years older than Chimaev at 33, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 298 last month in Anaheim. “The Reaper” is 2-2 over the last couple of years but remains ranked No. 3 in the crowded middleweight division.

Eight spots above “Borz.”

UFC Saudi Arabia will also feature the heavyweight battle between Russian bruisers Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov. Elsewhere on the card, Kelvin Gastelum takes on Daniel Rodriguez at 170 pounds while Johnny Walker collides with former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. Lastly, Sharabutdin Magomedov makes his return against 205-pound slugger Ihor Potieria.

UFC Saudi Arabia will air on ABC and ESPN+ in the United States.

MMAmania.com – All Posts