Khamzat Chimaev’s manager has released a statement on the withdrawal from the main event fight at UFC Saudi Arabia against Robert Whittaker.

Conor McGregor, out; Jamahal Hill, out; Khamzat Chimaev, out – it’s been a crazy 12-18 hours for the UFC as three enormous fights sadly fall through at the last minute.

Khamzat Chimaev out of his UFC Saudi Arabia main event vs Whittaker

Not only are fight cancelations plentiful for UFC 303 on June 29 but also for the UFC Saudi Arabia card that is scheduled to go down next weekend, June 22, from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

Unfortunately, Khamzat Chimaev has pulled out of that fight against former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker due to being “violently ill” from an unknown condition, according to Dana White.

As fans come to grips with the insanity that was the last 12 hours, Chimaev’s manager has now shared a message to fans online that explains their side of the story.

Khamzat Chimaev’s manager releases statement on the withdrawal

Only a few hours after news of the withdrawal hit the airwaves, Khamzat Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas has now shared an official statement from the team regarding with cancelation of UFC Saudi Arabia’s main event.

“It’s with great disappointment announced that Khamzat Chimaev (13-0) has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight against #3 ranked Robert Whittaker on June 22nd in Riyadh,” the statement opened, before confirming the extent to which illness has rocked the undefeated ‘Borz’.

“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.

“Although all available options have been thoroughly considered, it has now come to a point where the team has mutually agreed that it is not possible to carry on like this. Stepping into the cage not properly prepared against such a formidable opponent as Robert is unfortunately impossible.

Shammas described the past few days as a “devastating turn of events for Khamzat, his coaches, training partners and other members of the team,” especially with the main event in Saudi Arabia being such a sought-after spot for the 13-0 phenom.

“Headlining UFC’s first ever visit to Saudi Arabia was a great honor and something that was very much looked forward to. Although the cause is far beyond anyone’s control, a sincere apology is extended to the UFC.”

Shammas then apologized to the UFC brass, His Highness Turki Alalshikh, and “most importantly to the fans who were looking forward to the bout,” before vowing that Chimaev would return healthy and stronger than ever.

“But everything happens for a reason and god has his own plans, the goals remain the same. Khamzat and team will now get to the bottom of the cause of the issues, and he will come back even stronger.

“This is unfortunately a part of the fight game and as soon as Khamzat is healthy, his much-anticipated return to the Octagon will be immediately rescheduled.”