Khamzat Chimaev respectfully calls out Robert Whittaker
As the UFC seemingly continues to struggle to find an opponent for Khamzat Chimaev, the welterweight star has instead taken it into his own hands, calling for a fight against "good guy" Robert Whittaker.
'The Reaper' will make his 20th walk to the octagon next time out, and was expected to be competing at UFC 284 this weekend in his home country of Australia. Those plans fell through, with the bout being canceled due to his opponent Paulo Costa's contractual dispute with the promotion.
In a post on social media, Khamzat Chimaev called for a matchup against the tough Robert Whittaker as he urged the UFC to make the 'good guy vs. bad guy' bout official:
"Good guy vs Bad guy, let's make it happen. Only respect Robert Whittaker."
Although nothing is set in stone as of yet, Robert Whittaker will arguably be considered the most difficult test Chimaev has faced during his 12-fight MMA career if it comes to fruition.
Since making the move up to middleweight, 'The Reaper' has only ever suffered defeat in the cage when coming up against Israel Adesanya. The Australian seems a level above everyone else he has welcomed into the octagon.
While the former 185-pound champ will be a challenging opponent, Khamzat Chimaev is no slouch and remains unbeaten as a mixed martial artist. Aside from a war with Gilbert Burns, the Chechen-born Swede is yet to be seriously challenged since joining the UFC back in 2020.
Why does Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker make sense?
Besides the fact that both men are fan favorites in the sport and are in need of a worthy opponent, Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev would set the octagon alight in a potential fight-of-the-year clash.
'Borz' is likely trying to fast-track his way into middleweight title contention. What better way to do that than by facing someone who is possibly one more win away from a shot at UFC gold himself?
Chimaev has been vocal about wanting to compete against Israel Adesanya and newly crowned champion Alex Pereira. Although many believed he would remain in the welterweight division, it looks like he has his eyes firmly set on competing at 185 pounds.