UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | June 22, 2024 |
| Headquarters | Riyadh , Saudi Arabia |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov (also known as UFC on ABC 6) was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 22, 2024, hosted at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Background
Originally, the UFC intended to make its debut in Saudi Arabia on March 2, 2024; however, the event was rescheduled to June 22 to attract more prominent fighters, as stated by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
The headline bout featured a middleweight title eliminator contest between former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev. Due to illness, Chimaev withdrew and was substituted by Ikram Aliskerov, who had been slated for a fight the previous week.
A middleweight matchup between Sharabutdin Magomedov and Ihor Potieria underwent changes after Potieria was moved to UFC 301. Promotional newcomer Joilton Lutterbach stepped in as his replacement but subsequently withdrew following a doping violation; Antonio Trócoli then took his place.
In the bantamweight division, Said Nurmagomedov was scheduled to compete against Montel Jackson but pulled out for undisclosed reasons. Farid Basharat was named as his replacement but later withdrew due to injury, resulting in the bout being canceled.
Abu Azaitar was booked to face Denis Tiuliulin but withdrew because of injury; Sedriques Dumas was announced as the substitute. However, visa complications delayed the Dumas vs. Tiuliulin fight to a future event.
A featherweight encounter between Muhammad Naimov and Melsik Baghdasaryan was modified when Baghdasaryan exited due to a shoulder injury and Felipe Lima replaced him.
Initially arranged as a welterweight bout, Kelvin Gastelum versus Daniel Rodriguez was shifted to middleweight during fight week owing to Gastelum’s difficulties with weight cutting.
Bonus awards
The following athletes earned $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: No award granted.
- Performance of the Night: Robert Whittaker, Sharabutdin Magomedov, Volkan Oezdemir, and Felipe Lima