Chimaev ran through former champion Robert Whittaker for a first-round submission this past October at UFC 308. His performance may have earned him a title shot, but not before middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis runs things back with Sean Strickland in the UFC 312 headliner on Feb. 8.

The full UFC Saudi Arabia card in February has now been revealed with the main event pitting former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya against Nassourdine Imavov in an important matchup at 185 pounds.

For the first time in his career, former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will entered a fight coming off back-to-back losses.

Adesanya and Imavov square off in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event on February 1st in Riyadh. The card marks the promotion’s return to the kingdom after hosting a UFC Fight Night event in June, featuring another middleweight headliner between Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskerov.

We haven't seen a UFC Fight Night doubleheader quite like this. UFC Lightweight Contender Dan Hooker Makes Bold Prediction on Champion's Future Main Event The U

Israel Adesanya’s return date, opponent and event are official. The former UFC middleweight champion will headline UFC Saudi Arabia on February 1.

The UFC makes its second visit to Saudi Arabia early in the 2025 calendar with UFC Fight Night 250, which features Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov in the main event. The octagon will touch down in the budding combat sports region with a strong lineup,