PHOTO | Khamzat Chimaev hospitalized just hours after reported withdrawal from UFC Saudi Arabia

Khamzat Chimaev is suffering a medical emergency that has forced him to withdraw from his scheduled UFC Saudi Arabia headliner.

It was reported on Thursday that Chimaev, who is unbeaten in his UFC tenure, has withdrawn from his upcoming June 22 clash against Robert Whitaker. As of this writing, the exact reason for his withdrawal hasn’t been made public.

Whittaker is reportedly set to face short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov, a former opponent of Chimaev’s, in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event.

But, it appears we might be on the right path to an answer after a member of Chimaev’s inner circle posted the following Instagram story, which appears to show him in a hospital bed.

Khamzat Chimaev in the hospital after undisclosed medical emergency

(Screenshotted by @Full_Violence on X)

Chimaev has a checkered medical history after his initial, quick ascent into UFC stardom. He suffered from a severe bout of COVID-19 that nearly killed him, and forced him to postpone his career for months.

Chimaev hasn’t fought since a win over former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by majority decision at UFC 294. He is 2-0 in his middleweight tenure after making the full-time move from 170lbs.

Chimaev’s rise to fame began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At one point, he won three fights in two months, including his wins in back-to-back weeks over John Phillips and Rhys McKee.

Chimaev’s botched weight cut ahead of UFC 279 was the beginning of his recent career speed bumps. After he was originally supposed to face Nate Diaz in the main event, his weight miss moved him down to the co-main event and a short-notice bout against Kevin Holland.

Chimaev has earned wins over the likes of Gilbert Burns, Li Jingliang, and Usman during his promotional tenure. It was once thought inevitable that he would fight for a UFC title, but this recent medical scare puts some doubt on that argument.

We’ll continue to update you on Chimaev’s condition as this story unfolds.