Robert Whittaker is set to face off against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, and the stakes couldn’t be higher with a potential title shot on the line. As the MMA world buzzes with anticipation, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has weighed in on the bout, throwing his support behind the Aussie.
Having defeated Whittaker twice, Adesanya believes his former rival has what it takes to hand Chimaev his first professional loss, predicting a late finish for “The Reaper” in what is sure to be an intense and highly competitive matchup.
‘Izzy’ broke down the fight and gave his prediction in his latest YouTube video. He made his case for Whittaker securing the win saying,
“Rob is just a guy not to be f***ed with… Rob will do it again… I just think he’ll catch [khamzat] Later on. But he has to weather the storm… I’m gonna go rob with the late finish, round 4.”
Adesanya pointed to Whittaker’s experience in handling elite wrestlers like Yoel Romero, whom the Aussie fought twice, as a key factor in the UFC 308 showdown.
He highlighted how Romero repeatedly attempted to take Whittaker down, but ‘Bobby Knuckles’ managed to stay on his feet. Adesanya believes that if Chimaev is going to win, it will likely come via submission early in the fight.
However, as the fight progresses, Izzy is confident that Whittaker will take control and secure a TKO victory in the championship rounds, predicting a finish in rounds 3, 4, or 5.
Chimaev respectfully disagrees!
Borz explains why he will get the job done
Chimaev is gearing up for the toughest fight of his career as he faces former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. Though Chimaev may lack the experience Whittaker brings, he sees that as an advantage. Undefeated in 13 pro fights, including seven UFC bouts, the Chechen believes his winning mentality sets him apart.
“He knows how to lose, we don’t,” Chimaev confidently said during the UFC 308 media day.
While Whittaker has fought elite opponents, Chimaev doesn’t think he’ll stop his dominant wrestling. “Who stopped my takedowns? Nobody,” Chimaev asserted, noting he even took down former champion Kamaru Usman.
Questions about Chimaev’s stamina have come up since this is his first five-round fight, but he says he’s ready to go the distance. His goal?
“Just win, smash that guy, and take my money,”
For him, it’s all about getting the victory—how he does it remains irrelevant.
