'There is a skill gap'… Robert Whittaker shares his prediction ahead of UFC 311 title fight
01/13/2025 12:24 PM
Robert Whittaker has shared his thoughts on the first UFC pay-per-view main event of 2025.
The former middleweight titleholder will join be one of the many fight fans watching when lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defends his belt in a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311, which will take place at the Intuit Dome in California on Saturday night.
Arman Tsarukyan impressed despite falling to a unanimous decision defeat against Makhachev in his 2019 UFC debut
Since then, he’s won nine of 10 fights to earn a title shot, while Makhachev has established himself as the pound-for-pound number one by becoming a champion and beating the likes of Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski, and Charles Oliveira.
Robert Whittaker predicts UFC 311 main event
Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2 is expected to be a closely contested fight over the five-round distance.
However, Robert Whittaker believes the lightweight title matchup could end up being a one-sided affair.
‘The Reaper’ sees an obvious skill gap between the two fighters, who most people say are well-matched.
“I understand how good Arman Tsarukyan is,” Whittaker said on the MMA Arcade podcast.
“If we look at Islam's last fight with Dustin [Poirier] and we look at Arman's fight with Charles [Oliveira], I just feel like there is a gap. I feel like there's a skill gap.
“Everyone says how well Arman went in his debut [against Makhacehv], last minute, short notice, etc, etc.
“But you look at the names, you look at the level of fights, and the stage that Islam's fight was set on…
“I don't know. Islam is in a very good place right now. I find it very hard to see him getting defeated."
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What's next after UFC 311?
If Makhachev beats Tsarukyan at UFC 311, he will set a new company record for lightweight title defenses by earning one more (4) than his teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The 155lb king previously talked about a potential fight against Leon Edwards when he was reigning over the welterweight division, but talk of a weight change has died down since Belal Muhammad claimed 170lb gold at UFC 304 last July.
'Remember The Name' is a training partner of Makhachev. 'Team Khabib' helped Muhammad prepare for his fight against Edwards, which saw him win the title.
Nurmagomedov has admitted he would not be okay with Makhachev and Muhammad fighting – but the UFC 311 headliner insists that matchup is more likely than him facing featherweight champion Ilia Topuria in 2025.
"I think [it's more likely I'll fight the winner of Muhammad vs Shavkat Rakhmonov] because Topuria does not make sense," Makhachev said.
"For what? For a belt? for money? I have money. I don't need it. I need the second belt."
Only time will tell what will be next for Makhachev. First, he has the difficult task of beating Tsarukyan, who will enter his first title fight looking absolutely shredded after taking his UFC 311 camp very seriously.
