Khamzat Chimaev issued his first assertion since withdrawing from his UFC Saudi Arabia headliner towards Robert Whittaker.
On Saturday evening, June 22, ‘Borz’ was scheduled to step contained in the Octagon for a possible title eliminator with the previous middleweight world champion in Riyadh. Sadly, that’s now not on the docket after Chimaev grew to become “violently unwell,” forcing him out of the competition.
Just lately, Chimaev took to social media and supplied his first public touch upon the dramatic flip of occasions.
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“We at all times plan one thing however Allah has his personal plans for us,” Chimaev wrote on Instagram.
Borz’ has not competed since a majority resolution victory over former welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
ikran Aliskerov steps in for khamzat chimaev
Stepping in his place on the Kingdom Area shall be Ikram Aliskerov, who shall be making his third stroll to the Octagon after a pair of highlight-reel finishes towards Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves in 2023. Aliskerov enters the bout sitting on a seven-fight win streak and will thrust himself from exterior of the rankings into the middleweight high 5 ought to he rating the upset towards Robert Whittaker.
Regardless of stepping in on two weeks’ discover, Aliskerov is barely a +124 underdog, which means a $100 wager on the Russian may financial institution you a payout of $124.
With a win over Khamzat Chimaev, ‘The Reaper’ probably would have earned him one other shot on the 185-pound crown, as soon as Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya settle their enterprise in The Land Down Below. With Aliskerov being unranked, it’s unclear if Whittaker will nonetheless earn the chance.
