Khamzat Chimaev is fit and ready to fight Robert Whittaker, says Arman Tsarukyan: "He's gonna win"
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has assured fans that Khamzat Chimaev is ready to step into the octagon against Robert Whittaker. The pair are set to face off in a middleweight title eliminator bout at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi.
Question marks have been raised over Chimaev's fitness in recent months, as the Chechen-born Swede was scheduled to face Whittaker earlier this year. 'Borz' was then forced to pull out of the fight due to illness, later revealing he had been suffering from a drop in his immune system due to high levels of stress.
'The Reaper' then went on to face Ikram Aliskerov on short notice instead, putting on a masterful performance by knocking Aliskerov out in the first round.
Whittaker has since revealed that he asked for the clash against Chimaev once again, and many fans are now hoping that the highly anticipated bout will go ahead.
In an attempt to reassure fans, Tsarukyan spoke to Submission Radio and provided an update on Chimaev. 'Akhalkalakets' is confident fans will see 'Borz' back to his best and is expecting him to walk away victorious.
"I believe he's going to win against Robert Whittaker. After that fight he can fight for the title. He's gonna be a champion for sure."
Catch Arman Tsarukyan's comments here (2:00):
Robert Whittaker explains the reasoning behind asking for Khamzat Chimaev bout once again
Robert Whittaker has outlined his reasons for once again seeking a middleweight bout against Khamzat Chimaev.
After suffering a defeat at the hands of Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 last year, 'The Reaper' has since appeared back to his best, picking up two highly impressive wins over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov. Whittaker has made it his mission to reclaim the middleweight title he lost in 2019 and believes a win over Chimaev will all but secure him another shot at the gold.
Speaking about his upcoming bout against Chimaev, Whittaker revealed his motivations for choosing the fight once again. Alongside being all but assured a title shot should he win, the 33-year-old admitted he would enjoy "disrupting" the UFC's plans for one of their biggest stars.
Speaking on his MMArcade podcast, Whittaker said:
"Khamzat Chimaev is a hard fight. He's obviously a big draw especially over there in Abu Dhabi... And I think the UFC story-wise wants to see Chimaev get a shot at the champion. They want to see Chimaev up at the top of the ladder... But I love disrupting their plans, I love derailing their stories. That's why I took the fight, you know, I asked for the fight."
Check out Robert Whittaker's comments here: