Having fallen over earlier in the year, the UFC has rebooked a middleweight bout between Robert Whittaker (26-7) and Khamzat Chimaev (13-0) for UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26.
Originally scheduled to meet in Saudi Arabia back in June, Whittaker ended up facing Ikram Aliskerov after Chimaev withdrew from the event with illness.
The Australian former 185-pound champion knocked Aliskerov out in the first round to ensure his name remained in discussions at the top of the division.
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Having since returned to health, Chimaev has been granted another shot at “The Reaper” with a possible title fight on the line for the winner.
Russia’s Chimaev boasts an undefeated record and holds wins over the likes of Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns but injuries and illness have forced him into long periods of inactivity.
The 30-year-old has fought just once since September 2022 and is yet to face a middleweight of Whittaker’s skill and experience.
Conversely, Whittaker, 33, has bounced back from last year’s shock defeat to Dricus du Plessis, claiming impressive wins over Paulo Costa and Aliskerov.
The title picture at middleweight will become significantly clearer later this month when du Plessis faces off with two-time former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth on August 18.
Waiting in the wings, another former champion in Sean Strickland, is hoping to get a rematch with the victor of that one, meaning Whittaker or Chimaev could be in line for a title shot in the first half of 2025.
Whittaker versus Chimaev will appear as a five-round co-main event at UFC 308, chief support to the featherweight title bout between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.
In what is shaping as a stacked pay-per-view, Ciryl Gane will take on Alexander Volkov and Magomed Ankalaev faces off with Aleksandar Rakic.
