Former undisputed middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker claims he will be the undeniable next challenger to the divisional crown with a victory against the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 next month — despite another former gold holder already lined up for his own rematch with the incumbent, Dricus du Plessis.
Whittaker, who currently holds the number three rank in the official 185lbs pile, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia earlier this summer, taking on Russian starlet, Ikram Aliskerov in a high-stakes pairing.
And turning in a dominant first round knockout win over the Contender Series alum, Whittaker took out Aliskerov in place of an illness-stricken, Chimaev — who was sidelined from yet another return to action.
However, slated to co-headline UFC 308 at the end of next month in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Whittaker is sanctioned to take on the Chechen-born challenger over the course of five rounds in a rescheduled pairing in the desert.
Robert Whittaker stakes claim for title fight after UFC 308 return
And while former champion, Sean Strickland has been pegged as the next challenger to du Plessis’ throne, Whittaker claims he will be undeniable as the next championship chaser if he ends Chimaev’s stunning thirteen-fight unbeaten streak.
“No, I beat (Khamzat) Chimaev, I’m fighting for the belt next,” Robert Whittaker told Submission Radio. “LIke, that’s it. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. I just got to make sure that I put all the chips and I cross all the t’s, dot all the i’s, and get to Abu Dhabi top of my game.”
I don’t think they overlooked my wrestling skills as they pump up Chimaev’s,” Robert Whittaker explained. “But he’s really good at what he does. I’m not going into a boxing fight. We’re not going into a wrestling fight. It is MMA and there are so many roads to victory. And I understand that holistically I’m really good. Like, it’s harder to take me down when I’m throwing punches and kicks at your face.”