The UFC will debut in Saudi Arabia this summer, and it’s bringing a major middleweight headliner with it.
Former champion Robert Whittaker will take on Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round main event on June 22, UFC CEO Dana White said, announcing the main card will air on ABC.
Chimaev and Whittaker will fight to determine the No. 1 contender for middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.
Chimaev (13-0) hasn't fought since he defeated former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in October.
He had pushed for a title bout with Du Plessis at UFC 300 in April, but Du Plessis injured both legs when he took the championship from Sean Strickland in their January UFC 297 fight.
Whittaker (26-7), a former middleweight champ, is coming off a unanimous-decision win over Paulo Costa in February. It was his first fight since a TKO loss to Du Plessis in July 2023.
