Once more booked to take on the unbeaten middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev later this year following a failed pairing back in June, former champion, Robert Whittaker is more than confident of defeating the Chechen when they share the Octagon at UFC 308 in two months’ time.
Whittaker, the current number three ranked divisional contender, returned to action back in June in the main event of UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia — sharing the Octagon with the surging prospect, Ikram Aliskerov.
And recording a stunning first round knockout win over the Russian, Whittaker was initially scheduled to headline the Riyadh card against the undefeated Chimaev, who withdrew from the promotion’s first venture to the region citing a “violent” illness.
However, rebooked to co-headline UFC 308 at the end of October over the course of five rounds, Whittaker is set to meet Chimaev before an undisputed featherweight title fight — as the unbeaten, Ilia Topuria takes on the streaking former champion, Max Holloway.
Robert Whittaker on Khamzat Chimaev showdown
And weighing up his fight with the Chechen contender Khamzat Chimaev, Robert Whittaker insisted he was at his “best” ahead of the matchup — having devoted two separate training camps to the former.
“I’ve essentially had two camps for this guy (Khamzat Chimaev), right?” Robert Whittaker told Submission Radio. “I thnk skill-set-wise, I’m probably at the best I’ve been. I’ve been especially most prepared for Khamzat, theoretically speaking as I could be, right?”
“… You know, you’ve got to worry about how hard he’s going to push the wresting envelope in the first few rounds,” Robert Whittaker explained. “And then, like, what I’m going to do after that, after I stop the takedowns, after I get back up or whatever, and just taking the fight to him.”
Out of action since October of last year, Chimaev most recently landed a controversial majority decision win over former welterweight champion and pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman on just days notice in Abu Dhabi, UAE.