Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has accepted a fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC Saudi Arabia, aiming to test the Chechen fighter’s confidence and the reality of his hype.
Robert Whittaker, ex-UFC middleweight champ, is all set to challenge Khamzat Chimaev’s confidence in the octagon. He’s got his eyes on the prize, and it’s not his first rodeo.
Whittaker recently appeared on the Mighty video podcast. He chatted with Demetrious Johnson, another former UFC flyweight champ. He’s accepted to fight Chimaev at UFC Saudi Arabia. Why? He’s curious if the Chechen fighter’s hype is legit.
“I wouldn’t say I’m impressed,” Whittaker clarified. He thinks Chimaev is a good fighter, no doubt. He’s got a great mindset for the craft. He knows his strengths and plays to them. His confidence is unwavering, making him a formidable opponent.
“But,” Whittaker added, “if that confidence shakes, who knows where the chips will fall?” He’s eager to test that, to gauge the real size of the hype.
Whittaker’s been in this spot before. Remember Paulo Costa at UFC 298? Or Dricus du Plessis, the then fast-rising contender? Du Plessis stopped him in the first round at UFC 290. He later defeated Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 297.
Chimaev’s middleweight debut win against ex-welterweight champ Kamaru Usman didn’t go unnoticed. Joe Rogan, UFC commentator, called Whittaker a “real fight” for the undefeated fighter.
Whittaker believes he brings a unique set of challenges to the octagon. “I think I’ll have a speed and striking advantage,” he said. He’s confident that Chimaev’s wrestling tactics won’t work on him. His control of spacing and distance will see to that.
He’s excited about the fight. He knows it’ll be tough. But he’s ready to take Chimaev to war and earn his win. A win that could set him up for a title shot, his ultimate goal.
Whittaker’s chances for another title run brightened when Israel Adesanya, two-time opponent and former champ, was defeated by Strickland. If Adesanya beats du Plessis at UFC 305, a win over Chimaev could give Whittaker a shot at a third fight against “The Last Stylebender”. Despite his dual setbacks, Whittaker believes he’s a better fighter than the ex-champ.
Chimaev, with all his hype, will bring a lot of attention to the fight. He’s the boogeyman of the division right now. No one wants to fight him. But Whittaker is ready for the challenge. He finds such fights exciting and takes pride in them.
No one has cracked the Chimaev code in the octagon yet. Whittaker doesn’t promise an easy fight, only a willingness to test Chimaev at his best.
“When you’re prepping for a fight, the version of your opponent in your head is always scarier than the real one,” he said, laughing. Except for his last fight against du Plessis. That guy was way better than he’d imagined.
Whittaker’s full interview is below.