Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker set as main event, 4 more fights announced for UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22

Khamzat Chimaev will face Robert Whittaker in a No. 1 contender’s bout at middleweight to headline the first ever UFC card in Saudi Arabia on June 22 with the event airing on ABC in the United States.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the main event along with four more fights booked for the card on Wednesday night.

In addition to Chimaev vs. Whittaker, Sergei Pavlovich will return to action against Alexander Volkov in the heavyweight co-main event on the card.

Kelvin Gastelum faces Daniel Rodriguez in a welterweight showdown while Johnny Walker returns to action against Volkan Oezdemir.

The final fight will pit Sharabutdin Magomedov — better known as Shara Bullet — against Ihor Potieria in a light heavyweight matchup also headed to Saudi Arabia.

The event marks the start of a new relationship between the UFC and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which extends the promotion’s reach in the Middle East following a longstanding partnership with Abu Dhabi as well.

The main event will see Chimaev compete for the first time since he edged out former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in a back-and-forth battle this past October. Chimaev maintains a perfect 13-0 record including seven consecutive wins in the UFC.

He’ll face his toughest test to date when he faces a former middleweight champion in Whittaker, who is coming off an impressive victory over Paulo Costa in his last outing.

The UFC Saudi Arabia card will air live on ABC in the United States with more fights to be announced in the coming weeks.