Dana White announced on his Instagram that Khamzat Chimaev will take on Robert Whittaker. This fight is the headliner for a Saudi Arabia fight night on June 22nd.
The card also features some massive matchups throughout, with Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov and Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez also being announced on the main card. In addition to those matchups, Johnny Walker faces Volkan Oezdemir and Sharaputdin Magomedov squares off with surging Ihor Potieria. This card marks the UFC’s first excursion to Saudi Arabia and will be aired for free on ABC.
Khamzat Returns with High Stakes
This fight between Khamzat and Whittaker has high stakes, with Dana himself stating it will be for “the number one contender”, making this a title eliminator. This has big implications for the division as the winner of this bout will likely be next for the belt. However, the title may be fought for before this fight. If Chimaev wins, he’ll be fighting for gold for the first time. If Whittaker wins, he’ll get a third chance at gold and the chance to win his title back. He’ll also potentially receive a chance at revenge against Dricus Du Plessis, who he lost to in July.
This fight presents a very intriguing matchup and is Khamzat’s first real test at middleweight. Despite Usman being a big test and an all-time great, he isn’t a proper middleweight, unlike Whittaker. Also, stylistically this is a very fun fight with Chimaev’s high-paced and wrestling-heavy approach against a well-rounded methodical striker in Whittaker. Both have a very good chance of winning this likely entertaining fight.
Khamzat Chimaev’s Path to Victory
Chimaev’s path to victory as always is clear, implement the grappling and put a high pace on Whittaker to get a quick finish. This approach has worked for ‘Borz’ in the past as his record speaks for itself. The only struggle in the cage that Chimaev faced was against Gilbert Burns, in a war that he won. However, Chimaev made that fight more difficult than it needed to be. The Usman fight also encapsulated the strengths and weaknesses of Chimaev, showing the effectiveness of his grappling but the issues with his gas tank. After getting a 10-8 in Round 1, Khamzat later gassed and was inactive on the feet. Although Chimaev did injure his hand in Round 1, which would explain the inactivity with his hands.
In this fight, Chimaev can’t afford to gas out as this will be his second five-round fight. As such, Khamzat should try to pace himself more to preserve his stamina as we know Whittaker has no problems going the distance. That being said, Whittaker is not the level of wrestler Usman is. If Khamzat gets Whittaker in the same position that he got Usman in, he could get a submission. However, if Khamzat spends all his energy in Round 1 and Whittaker survives, it could be game over.
Chimaev should also utilize his striking more. Although he will never be a more skilled striker than Whittaker he can be effective as Whittaker has struggled with rangy strikers before. Khamzat’s straight shots are solid and his jab and right straight are effective when he utilizes it, as seen in the first round against Burns. And let’s not forget Whittaker was dropped by a jab against Dricus. The striking would also provide more setups for Chimaev’s takedowns with the striking providing a smoke screen.
Robert Whittaker’s Path to Victory
Whittaker’s path to victory is also pretty clear for this fight. Whittaker must be able to prevent being taken down or at the least be able to get up from them. Whittaker has a clear advantage on the feet with a lot more versatility and effectiveness in his striking. If the fight stays standing Whittaker should win, but that’s easier said than done. Whittaker has a background in wrestling, winning the Australian National Championships and participating in the Commonwealth Games. He’s also demonstrated solid takedown defense in his UFC career thus far, most notably against Yoel Romero. However, Khamzat’s style and pace of grappling is something Whittaker hasn’t encountered before.
Whittaker should also aim to drag the fight out and prey on Chimaev’s shaky cardio. Whittaker has consistently been able to do 3 and 5 rounds with no problem, giving him a big advantage. Khamzat labored to a decision against Usman after expending all his energy in the first round. If Whittaker makes it past a dangerous first and potentially second round, he boosts his chances of winning tenfold as Chimaev becomes less dangerous as the fight goes on.
Whittaker should also focus on targeting the body. As noted, Khamzat has issues with cardio so that will only be emphasized with body shots sapping Chimaev’s energy. Whittaker can achieve this with either landing body shots or body kicks. However, the kicks do provide the risk of being taken down but could also set up head kicks, making this a high-risk, high-reward strategy for Whittaker.
Do you think Khamzat Chimaev continues his winning streak? Or will Robert Whittaker be the first to tame the beast? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
