Middleweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev has been in and out of the cage due to some medical issues; notwithstanding, the fighter is certain of his victory over Whittaker.
Chimaev has fought 15 times since his career debut and has yet to lose a battle. The fighter is set to face former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 and has promised to deliver a spectacular performance. This will be their first time meeting in the cage, but Chimaev is confident he will emerge victorious.
“He knows how to lose, we don’t know, so I’m ready for victory,” Chimaev said at UFC 308 media day on Wednesday.
“Who did stop my takedowns?” Chimaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day. “Nobody. So, I don’t think this guy will be different. Kamaru Usman has been a great champ, and he took down everyone. But I took him down. I dominate him in the rounds easily. What’s going to be different with taekwondo or karate guy compared to Usman, who’s been a wrestler? He was a professional wrestler before.”
Chimaev says that no opponent can stand against him, not even Whittaker, and he intends to finish the fight early. The fighter has been out of the cage since he defeated former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Since then, Chimaev has constantly been in and out of the hospital due to medical issues that have kept him out of the cage. Notwithstanding this, the fighter is confident he will make a grand entrance and dominate his opponent as usual.
“I’ve been pushing from first second to last second in my sparring, but I don’t think it will be different in the cage, as well,” Chimaev said. “I didn’t say anything about my health before the Usman fight, so everyone thinks Khamzat went into the cage healthy. However it wasn’t that, I was sick in the morning before the fight. I didn’t find an excuse. And I didn’t cry.”
Whittaker, on the other hand, won an interim title in 2017. The title was later elevated to undisputed stat,us but he eventually lost it to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243. He is 6-2 since that defeat, with losses to Adesanya in their rematch at UFC 271 and then a one-sided TKO loss to future champion Dricus du Plessis.
Outside of those setbacks, “The Reaper” has continued to prove he’s a step above the contenders at 185 pounds. Despite Chimaev’s record, Whittaker has full hopes of defeating the fighter and says he would like a five-round battle.
“Just win, that’s it,” Chimaev said. “I don’t think about five rounds. I don’t think about submission. Just go to the cage, win the fight, smash that guy, and take my money. That’s it. Never when I go to the cage, thinking about how I just won the fight. How doesn’t matter.”
