In the UFC media news storm on June 13, Dana White announced that Khamzat Chimaev would no longer compete in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event against Robert Whittaker, and a new main event was set. With the 30-year-old out of the fight, surging middleweight contender Ikram Aliskerov has been pulled from UFC Vegas 93 to step into his place.
Aliskerov was originally scheduled to face Antonio Trocoli in the UFC Vegas 93 co-main event. Ahead of his new fight with Whittaker, Aliskerov is just 2-0 in the UFC after signing with the promotion in late 2022. Both wins came by first-round knockout, causing many to believe in his elite potential.
UFC Saudi Arabia: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov Odds
With Khamzat Chimaev OUT Ikram Aliskerov steps IN and opens as the UNDERDOG against Robert Whittaker 👀
(odds via @BetOnline_ag) #UFCSaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/wGNRMwosjD
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) June 13, 2024
Within hours of the official announcement, active sportsbooks had already placed opening lines for the new UFC Saudi Arabia main event. On Betonline, former champion Robert Whittaker opened as a slight -135 favorite with Aliskerov coming back at +115.
Since the fight confirmation, several other sportsbooks have also released odds, including DraftKings, Duelbits, Bet365 and more. Whittaker and Aliskerov will face each other just nine days after the UFC announced their matchup.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, early bets coming in on the fight have been nearly even on both sides. As of June 14, the odds have slightly shifted in favor of Aliskerov since opening.
Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov Announcement
.@robwhittakermma vs Aliskerov LIVE and FREE on @ABCNetwork Saturday June 22nd @Turki_alalshikh #UFCSaudiArabia @RiyadhSeason #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/ERPDi5XEqT
— danawhite (@danawhite) June 13, 2024
While the UFC struggled to find a replacement for Conor McGregor at UFC 303, rumors began to surface on the morning of June 13 that Khamzat Chimaev was out of his fight with Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia. The rumors began to take over MMA Twitter when Whittaker posted a cryptic message on his social media causing fans to believe he had been informed that the fight was off.
Chimaev’s team would soon confirm the rumors, stating that their fighter was hospitalized with an illness. Just hours later, Dana White addressed the situation with an announcement video, declaring that Chimaev would be replaced by Ikram Aliskerov.
After submitting Mario Sousa on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a UFC contract, Aliskerov has collected consecutive first-round knockouts over veterans Phil Hawes and Warlley Alves. In his 16-fight career, the only loss in the Dagestani’s career was a back-and-forth bout against Chimaev in 2019.
Khamzat Chimaev’s Illness
For the fourth time in the four years that he has been with the UFC, Khamzat Chimaev has caused a fight to be scrapped. In what was expected to be his first ranked middleweight fight, ‘Borz’ withdrew from the UFC Saudi Arabia main event from a reported illness that hospitalized the Russian wrestler.
Since bursting onto the MMA scene in 2020, Chimaev has lost much of the momentum he had early in his career despite maintaining his undefeated record. Since becoming a ranked contender, Chimaev has fought just four times in four years with just one of none of those wins over an established UFC middleweight.
Chimaev is also responsible for the fight week chaos of UFC 279 when he missed weight by 10 pounds, forcing the UFC to change the main card matchups at the last minute. Instead of facing Nate Diaz as scheduled, he fought Kevin Holland on one day’s notice.
About the Author
Jaren Kawada is a freelance sports writer from Indianapolis, Indiana by way of Honolulu, Hawaii with a strong passion for MMA and sports betting. Kawada has also written for Sportskeeda MMA, FanSided MMA, and BetSided as a combat sports analyst. Follow on X/Twitter at @jarenkawada1 or on Instagram at @kawadajaren.
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