Uncertainty still surrounds the health of Khamzat Chimaev (13-0), as he remains out of commission due to an illness that has led to the cancellation of his fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia this weekend. While it appears that Chimaev is no longer in danger, the exact nature of his condition remains unclear.
UFC President Dana White has expressed frustration over the situation, stating that the problem is that they don’t really know what’s going on. Chimaev’s health issues have been a recurring theme, with fights consistently being canceled at the last minute. White described seeing video footage of Chimaev violently ill on the floor, and said that he had been hospitalized again.
It’s been difficult for the UFC to get Chimaev into the octagon recently, with White noting that every time he’s about to fight, he gets sick. White expressed his frustration, saying that it’s hard to deal with the situation since Chimaev is not physically present in the United States and the UFC has not been able to have doctors examine him.
Despite the uncertainty, the UFC has found a last-minute replacement in Ikram Alikserov to face Whittaker at the event.
Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas, expressed optimism about the fighter’s recovery on ‘MMA Junkie’, stating that he will be back in action. Rumors of Chimaev’s withdrawal from the fight have been dismissed.