Did you fail to get hold of the biggest stories in the MMA world? Well, you’re in luck because we have another daily roundup edition for you to stay in tune with the most noteworthy moments over the last 24 hours. First of all, we will talk about Conor McGregor, who pulled out of his scheduled UFC 303 return. It was due to an injury and now we have an update regarding it and his new fight date.
Then, our attention will shift to Khamzat Chimaev, who also pulled out from his scheduled fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia. We also have an update on ‘Borz’s injury status as well. Finally, this list will end with Dana White, who revealed that nobody wanted to fight the fighter who replaced Chimaev on the Saudi Arabia card.
How serious is Conor McGregor’s injury, and when will he return?
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A $20 million gate that shattered all kinds of records was enough to explain the hype surrounding the UFC’s biggest star, Conor McGregor. But as the Dublin press event got canceled, things started to look worrisome, and in the end, his fight against Michael Chandler got called off due to an undisclosed injury situation. But what is that injury? Did McGregor hurt his repaired leg once again? Well, we can’t say anything for sure, but according to Ariel Helwani, the injury isn’t as severe as it sounds.
A couple of months is what Conor McGregor has been reported to be taking off to nurse his injury, and following those two months, he’ll be eligible to compete. Moreover, Ariel Helwani also mentioned that the UFC is exploring a potential date for the Irishman’s clash against Michael Chandler, with McGregor reportedly looking to secure a spot at the Sphere event. However, Dana White already made some plans and we might not get the former dual-weight champion on that card – UFC 306. The possible dates for McGregor’s return could be either August 31st or September 28th, but no decisions have been made yet.
Khamzat Chimaev’s health issues are more serious than expected
Ahead of the UFC’s maiden event in Saudi Arabia, a hiccup seemingly shook up the main event. He pulled out due to an injury, but after his manager’s recent statement, things look quite serious for the Emirati star. Chimaev’s been ill for a while and with multiple hospital visits. The details of his injury were strictly confined to only his team until recently when Dana White had to take swift actions.
Khamzat Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas, stated, “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.”
Meanwhile, Shammas believes that this is just one of the setbacks faced by Khamzat Chimaev and his mind’s set on making a big return. “Khamzat and team will now get to the bottom of the cause of the issues, and he will come back even stronger,” Chimaev’s manager added. Now, the only thing that matters is to wait and see how long it takes for ‘Borz’ to make his return.
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Dana White claims nobody wanted to fight Chimaev’s replacement in Saudi Arabia
There have been many fighters, who’ve been avoided by many contenders in the UFC, in attempts to avoid a loss. This has been the case for Ikram Aliskerov. The 31-year-old Russian fighter has filled in for Khamzat Chimaev and will take on Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia. But guess what? Aliskerov’s been on a mean streak. He’s yet to lose in the UFC and has been on a 3-fight winning streak with three first-round finishes (including one Contender Series fight).
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However, the fact that everybody deviated from the idea of fighting Ikram Aliskerov did not stop Robert Whittaker from accepting this fight. “We offered everybody in the division this fight. Nobody would take it except for Robert Whittaker,” Dana White stated in a video on social media. Meanwhile, he’d also wish Khamzat Chimaev to heal up soon. “Khamzat, get well soon, my friend,” the UFC CEO added. It remains to be seen if the new main event produces the same amount of action as fans were hoping to see from the initial one.
