Alkass Digital
Khamzat Chimaev's manager, Majdi Shammas, has gone into detail about the circumstances behind his withdrawal from his UFC Saudi Arabia main event bout against Robert Whittaker.
The unbeaten 30-year-old hasn't stepped foot inside the Octagon since last October, but his return to action will have to wait after his manager confirmed some worrying health news concerning his client.
Khamzat Chimaev's Manager Releases Statement Regarding UFC Saudi Arabia Withdrawal
On Thursday, it was announced by UFC president Dana White that Khamzat Chimaev was out of his planned UFC Saudi Arabia main event bout against Whittaker due to illness. In a video posted to social media, White announced that Whittaker's new opponent was Ikram Aliskerov, describing Chimaev as "violently ill", and wishing the middleweight contender a speedy recovery.
A few days on from the announcement, fans have now been given a clearer picture of the sort of struggles that Chimaev has been facing in recent months. The circumstances make his withdrawal from the Whittaker fight entirely understandable.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Chimaev's manager, Majdi Shammas, confirmed that the 30-year-old withdrew from the fight due to a "persistent illness" that he was dealing with throughout his training camp.
"It’s with great disappointment announced that Khamzat Chimaev (13-0) has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight against #3 ranked Robert Whittaker on June 22nd in Riyadh.
"The persistent illness that Khamzat has been battling for major parts of training camp could not be cured in time. He has been in and out of hospitals several times. The condition has been kept within the team, since everyone has been absolutely committed to finding a solution. Although all available options have been thoroughly considered, it has now come to a point where the team has mutually agreed that it is not possible to carry on like this."
The statement continued: "Stepping into the cage not properly prepared against such a formidable opponent as Robert is unfortunately impossible. This is a devastating turn of events for Khamzat, his coaches, training partners and other members of the team. Headlining UFC’s first ever visit to Saudi Arabia was a great honor and something that was very much looked forward to.
This is an incredibly unfortunate series of events for Chimaev as once again, he has suffered another setback in his career due to no fault of his own. To be included in the main event bout on such a historic card, the UFC's first-ever event in Saudi Arabia and for it to fall through is a big blow, but getting his health under control is clearly what is most important for Chimaev at this time.
Despite becoming one of the most fearsome fighters in the UFC during his early days, having his first two fights in the promotion within just 10 days of each other, Chimaev has just fought three times in the past two and a half years as issues surrounding his health, as well as his ability to get into the United States have halted his activity inside the Octagon.