The UFC's first card is Saudi Arabia is shaping up extremely well, with UFC CEO Dana White announcing four big fights for the card.
The promotion will head to Saudi Arabia on June 22nd for their inaugural show in the Kingdom, with the card being headlined with a number one contender fight which will see Robert Whittaker take on Khamzat Chimeav in a Middleweight contest. In the co-main, Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov will battle it out as they look to advance their positions in the Heavyweight rankings.
Taking to Instagram, White announced the date, broadcasting details and eight of the athletes that are slated to compete. He said:
"What's up, guys? Here with another announcement. On Saturday, June 22nd, we'll be going to Saudi Arabia. Our first fight in the kingdom will be a fight night that will air live and free on ABC. And the main event will be former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker versus 13-0 undefeated Khamzat Chimaev to see who will be the number one contender for the UFC middleweight championship.
"The Co-Main event. The number three ranked knock out artist Sergei Pavlovich versus the number six ranked Alexander Volkov. Also, Kelvin Gastelum will be taking on Daniel Rodriguez. We've got Johnny Walker versus Volkan Oezdemir undefeated 12-0 Shara Bullet versus Ihor Potieria who has 15 of his 20 wins coming by first round finish this card is going to be badass from top to bottom.
"It's going to be historic. It's our first ever show from the kingdom. Tickets go on sale soon, so make your plans for UFC Saudi Arabia June 22nd. Live and free on ABC."
Whittaker has been a staple at the top of the Middleweight division for a fair few years. In his quest to regain UFC gold, 'The Reaper' has fought anyone put in front of him and this looks to be the case once more as he takes on the surging Chimaev.
'Borz' only made the walk once last year, with a unanimous decision win against former Welterweight champion at UFC 294, at 185lbs. The Whittaker bout will only be his 8th under the UFC banner, since bursting onto the scene on Fight Island in 2021.
Sharabutdin Magomedov will make the walk to the octagon for only the second time, against the vastly more experienced Ihor Potieria in a Middleweight clash. There was a lot of hype surrounding the 29-year-old Magomedov ahead of his UFC debut at UFC 294. 'Bullet' was taken to a decision in only the second time in his 12 fight career so far, but looked extremely impressive in bout against Bruno Silva.
Both Kelvin Gastelum and Daniel Rodriguez will both be looking to get back on track at 170lbs, following a recent dip in form. Last time out, Gastelum dropped lost to Sean Brady with a third round Kimura, taking his recent record to 2-3 from his last 5 bouts. After amassing a four fight win streak, 'D-Rod' was then handed back to back losses at the hands of Neil Magny and Ian Machado Garry in his last two bouts.
