Ex-fighter bizarrely prophesies UFC's doom, Khamzat Chimaev's next fight revealed, Tom Aspinall advises Francis Ngannou: MMA News Roundup

UFC may not exist for too long, says a former fighter as the promotion's return to Perth gets announced. Elsewhere, Tom Aspinall gives words of advice to Francis Ngannou.

Here is your daily quota of top combat sports updates.

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"UFC won't be around by August": Mark Hunt

Former fighter Mark Hunt has made a shocking prediction about the downfall of the promotion.

Reacting to the news of UFC 305 taking place in Perth, Australia on Aug. 18, Hunt wrote on Instagram:

"This company @ufc won't be around by August @danawhite please tell the people the truth [you've] been lying to[o] long boy. I [have] been telling [you] lot for a minute now but [you saw] it here first #dasseiiitttt"

Hunt chose not to elaborate his claims further.

Around six months back, in Sep. 2023, 'The Super Samoan' lost a long-running legal battle with his former employers. He sued the promotion, accusing them of keeping Brock Lesnar's pre-UFC 200 drug test results a secret. A U.S. District Judge ruled he had provided insufficient evidence. The fight, which Hunt lost, was overturned to a no-contest after Lesnar's test came positive.

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Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker in Saudi Arabia

Dana White finally announced UFC Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. The card is set for June 22 and will feature Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev in the main event.

The co-main event is a heavyweight clash between Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov. Elsewhere on the card, veterans Kelvin Gastelum and Daniel Rodriguez will clash heads at welterweight, light heavyweight prospect Shara Magomedov will take on Ihor Potieria, and Johnny Walker will lock horns with Volkan Oezdemir.

Watch the announcement below:

Whittaker vs. Chimaev will have major title implications. The winner will be the No. 1 contender for the middleweight championship, currently held by Dricus du Plessis.

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Tom Aspinall advises Francis Ngannou to keep boxing

Despite a brutal loss to Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou should not quit boxing, says Tom Aspinall.

The interim heavyweight champion told OLBG [Via MMA Fighting] that 'The Predator' should keep at it since "the money right now is in boxing".

"It was ridiculous. They were absolute thunderous punches he got hit with. What he’s going to do next is ultimately up to him. If I was in his position, I’d go where the money is — and as far as I’m aware — the money right now is in boxing, so that’s what I’d do. But I’m not Francis Ngannou, so it’s difficult to say."

Aspinall added that transitioning from MMA to boxing is not as easy as many claim. He spoke from experience of sparring with "high-level professional boxers".