close
close

Khamzat Chimaev sends message to Robert Whittaker after UFC Saudi Arabia

Posted on by angelo

Khamzat Chimaev still intends to fight Robert Whittaker.

The two middleweight stars were set to face off in the main event of the UFC’s debut in Saudi Arabia this past Saturday, in a fight expected to push the winner straight into title contention. Unfortunately, the project failed when Chimaev fell ill.

With Chimaev out of action, Australian Whittaker then agreed to a fight with another dangerous Russian, Ikram Aliskerov. The change of plans didn’t seem to bother the former champion, as he knocked out his opponent on short notice in one round – his first stoppage victory since 2017.

With his victory over Aliskerov, Whittaker is now one of the top contenders in the UFC middleweight division. In fact, he may well be called upon to serve as a replacement for Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya’s recently announced UFC 305 title fight in Australia.

One way or another, it’s clear that Chimaev will always be after him.

Speaking on X following Saturday’s main event, Chimaev took a moment to congratulate Whittaker, before assuring the Australian that their story isn’t over yet.

He also wished Aliskerov good luck after his loss to Whittaker.

“Congratulations (Whittaker),” he wrote in Russian. “We’re not done yet!”

“I wish you (Aliskerov) a speedy recovery, keep your head up my brother,” he added.

Chimaev has long been considered one of the scariest young fighters in the UFC. However, despite a 13-0 record that includes wins over Kamaru Usman, Kevin Holland and Gilbert Burns, he has yet to challenge for the title. This is largely due to his prolonged periods of inactivity, which are often due to health problems.

Chimaev’s health is such an issue that UFC CEO Dana White said he has “no idea” when the Russian will fight again.

“We’ll see what happens,” White said at the post-fight press conference for Saturday’s card in Saudi Arabia. “Maybe we’ll try to move him to Abu Dhabi (August 3) and see if he can get in that fight.”

Whittaker, meanwhile, has now won two in a row, having also beaten Paulo Costa by decision since a surprise defeat to Du Plessis last year.