Khamzat Chimaev finally makes his highly-anticipated return to active competition in UFC 308’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event this weekend (Sat., Oct. 26, 2024) against No. 3-ranked Middleweight, Robert Whittaker, from inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Ever since this Middleweight mega-fight was announced earlier this year, there have been legitimate concerns about whether Chimaev will make the walk to the Octagon — he has a rich history of withdrawing from important fights. Plus, “Borz” and Whittaker were supposed to clash in Saudi Arabia this past summer, but health issues torpedoed it.
Well, there is (more) good news because ESPN MMA posted a clip of Chimaev looking, “strong and healthy.” Check it out below:
Khamzat Chimaev looking strong and healthy to start off fight week #UFC308 l Saturday l 2 PM ET l ESPN+ PPV pic.twitter.com/7cvIjlfrtM
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 23, 2024
Unfortunately, the mixed martial arts (MMA) world will not know if Chimaev will make it to fight until the cage locks behind him on Saturday, mainly because the hardest part of the process is still to come: the dreaded weight cut. So, let’s knock on wood and hope Chimaev doesn’t walk under any ladders.
For what it’s worth, Chimaev is coming off a ho-hum decision win over former Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 294 back in Oct. 2023 and has been perfect inside the Octagon thus far (7-0).
Whittaker, meanwhile, has been on a roll since losing to now-champion Dricus Du Plessis … and he is hunting for Chimaev to secure another coveted 185-pound title shot.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 308 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 2 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 308: “Topuria vs. Holloway” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.