“He likes to play villain…” Robert Whittaker gives first reaction to Dana White’s stunning Khamzat Chimaev fight announcement

Khamzat Chimaev faces first real challenge in the first UFC event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“He likes to play villain…” Robert Whittaker gives first reaction to Dana White’s stunning Khamzat Chimaev fight announcement

Dana White announced Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker (via Imago)

A dream fight is upon us. Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev will finally fight in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia. Whittaker reacted to the announcement on his podcast. Here is what happened:

Robert Whittaker sat down on his YouTube channel to talk about his upcoming fight. He reacted to Dana White’s most recent announcement. White revealed that Whittaker would take on undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round fight. To this, Whittaker reacted and said: 

He likes to play the villain against these guys, against his opponents. He's an honorable fighter. We're going to get in there and we're going to have an honest fight. We're both gonna leave it there. He's not a quitter, I'm not a quitter. So I look forward to really making history in Saudi Arabia.
Robert Whittaker via MMArcade podcast
YouTube video

‘The Reaper’ said that he understood the importance of the fight and the difficulty of it. However, Whittaker remained confident that he would work hard enough at his camp and looked forward to it. After his last fight against Paulo Costa, Whittaker walked away with the win and without any injuries.

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According to Whittaker, the UFC offered him the fight a few weeks ago, and he was ready. Whittaker declared he had a clear headspace and looked forward to putting in the work. This bout might as well happen as a title eliminator. Hence, Whittaker wants to walk away with a win.

Why the Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight is special?

Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker’s fight will mark UFC’s entry into Saudi Arabia. It will take place this June at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. The fight card has massive names like Sergei Pavlovich, Alexander Volkov, and Johnny Walker. However, the event is not special for having stellar names on the fight card, it is special for another reason.

Robert Whittaker claims Khamzat Chimaev
Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev (Image Courtesy: MMA Fighting)

Chimaev faces his first tough opponent in a five-round main event fight. Yes, Kamaru Usman is a legend. However, he did not get enough time to train for the fight. Whittaker will have enough time to train for the fight. Hence, Chimaev will need to bring his A-game when he faces the former middleweight champion in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the fight will present Whittaker with a way back to the title.

This is the start of a new relationship between the UFC and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The country has already hosted some of the top boxing events in recent times. Khamzat Chimaev is currently undefeated, and the last time he fought was at UFC 294 when he defeated Kamaru Usman. With seven back-to-back wins in the UFC, one could see Chimaev receiving the title shot if he wins.

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