Robert Whittaker gives his stance on where Khamzat Chimaev ranks among the best wrestlers he's ever faced

10/09/2024 16:04

Robert Whittaker has given his take on whether Khamzat Chimaev will be the greatest wrestler he’s ever faced in the cage.

The two middleweight titans will go head-to-head in an eagerly-anticipated contest on October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Robert Whittaker gives Khamzat Chimaev enormous credit

At UFC 308, Robert Whittaker will aim to make a massive statement by becoming the first man to defeat Khamzat Chimaev.

The pair were originally scheduled to go to war at UFC: Saudi Arabia, until the Swede’s health issues forced him out of the bout.

Instead, ‘Bobby Knuckles’ ended up sending shockwaves through the division, with a thunderous knockout over late-replacement Ikram Aliskerov.

Now, with his bout against Chimaev back on, Whittaker knows he’s likely just one fight away from another shot at the 185-pound throne.

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Renowned for his sensational grappling skills, ‘Borz’ will likely do whatever it takes to drag the Aussie to the floor.

However, having competed against the likes of Yoel Romero, Whittaker knows a thing or two about takedown defense. So, with that said, where does he rank his rival among the best wrestlers he’s faced?

In an interview with Submission Radio, he said: “I definitely think he’s the most dangerous because he’s the one in front of me—untested—he’s the unknown.

“He’s obviously very good. He took Kamaru Usman down quite handily and controlled him on the ground and Usman’s got very high-level wrestling.

“So, it makes sense that he’s very good at what he does. But I’ve wrestled with the best of them and it’s a fight at the end of the night.”

Robert Whittaker spars Jai Opetaia to prepare for Khamzat Chimaev

While, ‘The Reaper’ is spending copious amounts of time working on his grappling, he’s also seemingly planning on what he’ll do against Chimaev on the feet.

With an advantage in the striking department, Whittaker is working on honing his skills with IBF cruiserweight boxing champion Jai Opetaia.

The pair have been exchanging blows inside the gym, in fascinating sparring sessions.

In a recent interview, Whittaker opened up about exactly what happened when he set foot inside the ring with one of the greatest boxers on the planet.

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