"Might be making a mistake" - UFC legend split on Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev matchup
Chael Sonnen has appeared split on the outcome of the upcoming Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev bout.
Last week, Dana White dropped the bombshell that 'Borz' will be making his return to the octagon against Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6 on June 22 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The UFC CEO also confirmed the fight will be a No.1 contender clash, with the winner expected to go on to face Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title.
Following the announcement of their bout, fans and fighters have started to cast their predictions for the highly anticipated matchup.
The general consensus appears to be that Chimaev will have the advantage early due to his high pressure wrestling, but Whittaker has the edge the longer the fight goes on due to his cardio.
Weighing in on the fight was Chael Sonnen, who appeared to disagree with that same sentiment. According to 'The American Gangster', it would be a "mistake" for Whittaker to head into the fight thinking he can wear Chimaev down. He explained:
"Exhaustion makes a coward out of all men...Generally anybody that gets tired or exhaused it's because they wilt. We haven't seen that with Chimaev and I was surprised [that people believe Chimaev wilts]... I think somebody [Whittaker] might be making a mistake if that within their gameplan they believe they can put a pressure on him [Chimaev] and get him to back down."
Catch Sonnen's comments regarding Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker here (9:51):
Robert Whittaker vows to break Khamzat Chimaev's “undoubted confidence”
Robert Whittaker can't wait to get into the octagon and test himself against the seemingly unbeatable Khamzat Chimaev.
Whittaker is now widely considered to be the toughest test of Chimaev's career so far. Despite recently picking up a win over Kamaru Usman, 'The Reaper' is a natural middleweight and has previously been the champion of the division.
The Australian is also excited to step back into the lion's den, as Chimaev would join a list of killers that Whittaker has faced during his battle-tested career.
Discussing the fight during a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson, Whittaker continued to express his excitement at the matchup. 'The Reaper' believes he will be the first man to take Chimaev to the brink, and see what he has to offer. He said:
"He knows what he does well. 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."
Catch Whittaker's comments regarding Khamzat Chimaev here (8:01):