At UFC 308, Robert Whittaker will finally have the chance to face Khamzat Chimaev. The battle was postponed from its original date at UFC Saudi Arabia, yet fans are just as excited about the bout. Whittaker has come up with some inventive ways to train for the ‘Borz’ about a month away from the battle.
Since his loss at UFC 290, Whittaker has bounced back and is currently on a two-fight win streak. The Aussie is in red-hot form, intending to reclaim his UFC middleweight championship. Ahead of his clash with Chimaev, Whittaker was recently observed sparring with lineal cruiserweight boxing champion Jai Opetaia. According to Whittaker, working with the Australian boxing champion helped him a lot.
I’m blessed to be able to work with someone of the caliber as Jai. Jai is so good man. I definitely believe he has got better hands than anybody in my division. To be able to work with him and sharpen my reflexes and eyes…it’s just priceless.
Robert Whittaker via Submission Radio
Whittaker mentioned how good Jai Opetaia was as he could barely go toe to toe with the boxer. ‘Iron sharpens Iron’ is the fundamental concept that Whittaker talked about while sparring with Opetaia. The former UFC champion is well known for his striking skills and believes that by training with Opetaia, he will only get better.
After Chimaev pulled out of their last fight, UFC brought Ikram Aliserov as a last-minute replacement. Without any hesitation, Whittaker took the challenge and knocked out the opponent in the very first round. It puts him within striking distance to achieve yet another title shot. Going into UFC 308, the Aussie fighter plans to do the same to Chimaev.
Robert Whittaker is confident about his overall skills against Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev is undoubtedly one of the biggest hype trains in the UFC. Since his debut, Chimaev had fans on their toes and ran through everybody the promotion threw at him. The Chechen warrior has shown incredible wrestling and has beaten top contenders like Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman.
Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker (via X)On paper, Chimaev has no holes and is the –195 betting favorite at UFC 308. Many fans are expecting the ‘Borz’ to dominate Robert Whittaker on the ground and take the win. However, the ‘Reaper’ doesn’t think that will be the case and is confident about his ability to mix it up.
I’m not going into a boxing fight. We are not going into a wrestling fight. It is MMA and there are so many ways to victory and I understand that holistically I’m really good. It’s harder to take me down when I’m throwing punches and kicks at your face.
Robert Whittaker via Submission Radio
Whittaker believes his preparation for the fight is top-notch and has had two training camps for Khamzat Chimaev. Popular middleweight Gerald Meerschaert also thinks Whittaker will give a tough time to the undefeated Russian. The UFC 308 fight card is stacked from top to bottom, and this is definitely one of the biggest fights on the card.
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