Athletes
Robert Whittaker | The Relentless Pursuit Of Greatness
Former Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker Faces Undefeated Khamzat Chimaev In A Five-Round Co-Main Event At UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is a prime example of a fighter who never backs down from a challenge.
That sentiment has never been clearer than right now, as Whittaker finishes his final preparations for a five-round co-main event bout against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev.
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Whittaker started the year with a comfortable win over former title challenger Paulo Costa. He was then slated to face Chimaev just four months later in June, however, Chimaev was forced to pull out of the fight due to illness.
Fortunately, there was a replacement fighter available to take Chimaev’s place in Ikram Aliskerov, a then 15-1 fighter whose only professional loss came to none other than Chimaev. He’d won his first two UFC fights by first-round knockout and posed a serious short-notice threat to the Aussie.
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Whittaker didn’t care and accepted the fight. Not only did he continue his momentum from the win over Costa, but he also cemented himself as one of the top contenders at 185 pounds, scoring a sub-two minute knockout over one of the middleweight division’s hottest prospects.
Now, just four months later, “The Reaper” has a new date for his high-stakes clash with Chimaev: Saturday, October 26 at UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway in Abu Dhabi.
“Half the reason I jumped back into it was because I was feeling great,” Whittaker said. “The body was good. I was in a good position to train again. And I had such a good experience fighting here in the Middle East. I saw there was another card in October and jumped at the opportunity.
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“It was easier in some ways because we knew what we were doing. I just did the same thing again for another 12 weeks. It just gave me more time to perfect the work I was putting in for him, and honestly, he’s put himself at a disadvantage I think because I’m a camp better, I’m a fight better, and it’s scary.”
During fight week, Whittaker filled UFC.com in on part of his strategy for Saturday’s co-main event, and it’s a much different approach than Chimaev’s previous opponents
Typically, fighters start more defensively and are forced to be on the back foot due to Chimaev’s forward pressure and constant threat of a takedown. Whittaker believes the key to not succumbing to that pressure is to go on the hunt himself. Despite being the much higher-ranked fighter at 185 pounds, Whittaker is coming into this fight as “the hunter.”
Regardless of where the fight goes or how it plays out, Whittaker believes he’s better everywhere, and that any one mistake by Chimaev could be detrimental.
Inside The UFC 308 Co-Main Event
“He’s got 25 minutes to not slip up,” Whittaker said. “He slips up once, he’s gone. That’s what we’re working towards. He can fight his perfect game and I’m still going to beat him. That’s what makes me better. That’s what makes me dangerous.”
Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is currently waiting in the wings for a challenger to make their case to be next to fight for the title. With the star power behind both Whittaker and Chimaev, and a five-round co-main event on one of UFC’s biggest pay-per-views of the year to boot, a win for “The Reaper” would move him much closer to a much-wanted rematch against the South African champ.
“Every win pushes me closer to my goal of getting that belt wrapped around my waist again,” Whittaker said. “This is the biggest fight I’ve had. I think every fight that’s in front of me is the hardest fight. I know this fight pushes me towards my goals and I look forward to the test.”
UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on October 26, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
