John Phillips needed a new opponent for UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige after the withdrawal on Dusko Tudorovic and now he has one in the form of Khamzat Chimaev.
Igor Lazorin was the first to announce the news and the bout is still expected to be a part of the preliminary card.
Phillips (22-9-0-1NC) has won just one of four under the UFC banner, with that lone win coming over Alen Amedovski at UFC Fight Night Copenhagen. Phillips has suffered nine losses as a professional MMA fighter and seven of them came against past or current UFC fighters. Phillips has picked up twenty two wins as a professional MMA fighter and twenty of them came by way of KO/TKO.
Chimaev (5-0-0) is going to be making his UFC debut in this bout and does so with an undefeated streak that has lasted nearly two years. Chimaev has competed a total of five times as a professional MMA fighter and just one of those bouts went past the opening round. Chimaev is also competing for the first time in almost a year, with his last professional MMA bout coming in October of last year.
UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige takes place on Wednesday, July 15 from Fight Island in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi with Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on ESPN.