UFC
All you need to know about UFC Saudi Arabia with Oezdemir, Whittaker and Lima
UFC Saudi Arabia. Photo via USA Today, Instagram and OKTAGON MMA
On Saturday UFC will put on their first-ever event in Saudi Arabia.
Headlining the card is former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker who will take on Ikram Aliskerov in a short notice fight. Aliskerov is the replacement of UFC star Khamzat Chimaev who pulled out due to illness.
In the co-main event, top ranked heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov will duke it out.
Felipe Lima will make his UFC debut
The card also features a light heavyweight bout between top dogs Johnny Walker and Volkan Oezdemir.
“Walker is a great fight for me, a good matchup,” Oezdemir told Frontkick about the fight. “The guy has been chicken dancing in most of his fights lately. It will be over as soon as my hands connect to his face. He doesn’t do anything else but striking.”
Exclusive Volkan Oezdemir interview: “It will be over as soon as my hands connect to his face”
We will also see the short notice debut of Swedish-Brazilian Felipe Lima who will take on Muhammad Naimov in a featherweight bout.
Lima is the OKTAGON MMA bantamweight champion and moves up a weight class for his UFC debut.
Check out the full fight card below!
UFC Saudi Arabia fight card
Main card
- Middleweight bout: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov
- Heavyweight bout: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov
- Welterweight bout: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez
- Middleweight bout: Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Joilton Lutterbach
- Light Heavyweight bout: Johnny Walker vs. Volkan Oezdemir
Preliminary card
- Lightweight bout: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jared Gordon
- Featherweight bout: Muhammad Naimov vs. Felipe Lima
- Welterweight bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nicolas Dalby
- Bantamweight bout: Kang Kyung-ho vs. Muin Gafurov
- Light Heavyweight bout: Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Brendson Ribeiro
- Bantamweight bout: Xiao Long vs. Lee Chang-ho
* Fight card is a subject of change.
How to Watch
Sweden: The preliminary card and main card is streamed by Viaplay with start 19.00 CET.
US: The preliminary card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ at noon ET. UFC on ABC 6 has a main card that starts at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
Read more: Swedish judoka Marcus Nyman aims for a medal in fourth Olympics
