Middleweight Contenders Robert Whittaker And Khamzat Chimaev Collide At UFC's Debut Event In Saudi Arabia

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: WHITTAKER vs CHIMAEV tickets are on sale now via webook.

Former middleweight champion Whittaker (26-7-0, fighting out of New South Wales, Australia) returns to the Octagon® with the aim to continue his winning streak in the much-anticipated Riyadh bout against Khamzat Chimaev. A professional MMA fighter since 2009, Whittaker made his mark on the sport and cemented his legacy by becoming UFC’s middleweight champion at UFC 213, with his most recent win taking place against Brazil’s Paulo Costa at UFC 298.

While Chimaev (13-0-0, fighting out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates) aims to retain his undefeated streak and continue to climb the ranks as a middleweight star. With six wins by knockout, five by submission, and eight first round finishes, all eyes are on this fight in Riyadh, with Chimaev’s last victory taking place at UFC 294, as he defeated former world champion Kamaru ‘The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman.

As part of the first-ever Saudi UFC event, UFC fans in the Kingdom can also look forward to another epic showdown in the Octagon as Sergei Pavlovich (18-2, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) takes on Alexander Volkov (37-10, fighting out of Moscow, Russia), in an all-Russian clash of heavyweight titans. With all eyes on the Kingdom, the highly anticipated inaugural Saudi UFC Fight Night is gearing up to be the must-see summer event for both longtime and new UFC fans in the region.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Kelvin Gastelum (18-9-0, 1 NC, fighting out of Yuma, AZ/Huntington Beach, Calif.) takes on Daniel Rodriguez (17-4-0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) in an exciting welterweight matchup  
  
   
• Brazil’s Johnny Walker (21-8-0, 1 NC, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) takes to the Octagon in a bout against Swiss Volkan Oezdemir (19-7-0, fighting out of Stockholm, Sweden)
  
   
• Shara “Bullet” Magomedov (12-0-0, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) vies to remain undefeated in the UFC as he takes on UFC newcomer Joilton Lutterbach (38-10-0, fighting out of Dusseldorf, Germany), who makes his debut riding a three-fight winning streak.
  
   
• Nasrat Haqparast (16-5-0, fighting out of Rabat, Morocco) clashes with Jared "Flash" Gordon (20-6-0, 1 NC, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla.) in the lightweight division
  
   
• Abu Azaitar (14-4-1, fighting out of Rabat, Morocco) challenges Denis Tiuliulin (10-9-0, 1 NC fighting out of Moscow, Russia) in a strikers’ fight at 185 pounds
  
   
• Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (8-0-0, fighting out of Bahrain) takes on Brendson Ribeiro (15-6-0, 1 NC, fighting out of Brazil) in the hotly contested light heavyweight division
  
   
• Kyung "Mr. Perfect" Ho Kang (19-10-0, 1 NC fighting out of South Korea) aims to reclaim his winning streak as he takes on Muin Gafurov (18-6-0, fighting out of Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
  
   
• Farid Basharat (12-0-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada, by way of Paktia, Afghanistan) faces off against Montel "Quik" Jackson (13-2-0, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wis.) in a bantamweight contest
  
   
• Muhammad Naimov (11-2-0, fighting out of Denver, Colorado, by way of Dushanbe, Tajikistan) takes on Melsik "The Gun" Baghdasaryan (8-2-0, fighting out of Glendale, California by way of Yerevan, Armenia) in a featherweight bout
  
   
• Rinat “Gladiator” Fakhretdinov (22-2-1, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) and Nicolas Dalby (23-4-1, fighting out of Copenhagen, Denmark) go toe-to-toe in an all-action welterweight bout
  
   
• Xiao Long (26-7-0,  fighting out of Shanxi, China) takes on Chang Ho Lee (9-1-0, fighting out of Goyang, South Korea) in a bantamweight bout

For more information on this historic event and for the latest updates visit www.ufc.com.