“Harder to force wrestling game on me,” Robert Whittaker unfazed by elite grappling credentials of Khamzat Chimaev
Robert Whittaker thinks he holds two key advantages to defeat Khamzat Chimaev.
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Robert Whittaker is not worried about the wrestling skills of Khamzat Chimaev (via Imago)
The newly declared fight pairing Robert Whittaker against Khamzat Chimaev has caused quite a stir. This high level matchup holds major stakes for the middleweight ranks. In a recent chat, Robert Whittaker voiced his take on the impending title eliminator clash.
‘The Reaper’ felt his skill set would pose serious problems for the rising Chimaev. Whittaker exuded assurance in neutralizing Khamzat Chimaev‘s grappling threats during an interview with Demetrious Johnson. His confidence stemmed from his striking prowess and ability to dictate distance.
I’m gonna go in there with the speed advantage and striking advantage. [Khamzat] can force the wrestling on people, and I think it’s going to be a little harder to force the wrestling on me.Robert Whittaker via Mighty Mouse YT
Whittaker said controlling the distance could stop Chimaev’s wrestling skills. His aggressive striking style is well-known. This might disrupt Chimaev’s relentless grappling attack. Statistically, Whittaker has better takedown defense compared to the rest of the middleweight division. However, it remains to be seen if he can nullify takedowns of Chimaev.
Whittaker recently beat Paulo Costa, while Chimaev won a close decision over Kamaru Usman. Despite Chimaev’s big win, Whittaker isn’t concerned about the unbeaten fighter. Whittaker has the edge due to the five-round nature of the fight. As such, he’s determined to showcase his versatile skillset against the dangerous Chechen fighter.
Robert Whittaker promises to test Khamzat Chimaev’s hype
Robert Whittaker recently said he would test Khamzat Chimaev’s hype. The duo is set to fight in the debut card for Saudi Arabia. He thought shaking the Chechen-born middleweight’s confidence could help him win. Whittaker wanted to see if the hype around Khamzat Chimaev was true.
Robert Whittaker said Khamzat Chimaev’s confidence and belief in himself is a strong quality. However, Whittaker also said this confidence could be a weakness. Underestimating an opponent could have major implications. As such, Whittaker aims to surprise Chimaev with his skill set.
He goes in there with undoubted confidence in what he can do. That makes a very dangerous recipe. But it also, if he gets shaken, you don't know what way the cards are going to fall. So I'm looking forward to testing that. To see how big the hype it is, if you would.Robert Whittaker via Mighty Mouse YT
Whittaker aimed to exploit any possible cracks in Chimaev’s mental fortitude during their highly anticipated clash. Whittaker’s best shot remains to outlast Chimaev in the fight. The Chechen fighter has shown a weakness in his cardio. As such, Whittaker’s cardio could shake Chimaev’s confidence once it gets past round three. Only time will tell if Whittaker’s successfully break Chimaev’s undefeated record or fall victim to it.
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Zaid Quraishi
(718 Articles Published)