Robert Whittaker confirms Khamzat Chimaev fight will be 5 rounds amid recent confusion
Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev will be a five-round contest, 'The Reaper' recently confirmed. The pair were expected to compete in a potential middleweight title eliminator at the UFC's inaugural event in Saudi Arabia on June 22. However, Chimaev was forced to pull out due to health issues and Whittaker defeated Ikram Aliskerov in a short-notice fight instead.
The fight has been rebooked for UFC 308, scheduled to take place on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It is set to be a five-round, non-title co-main event. Due to a recent post on UFC's official X handle, there was a concern that the fight might be demoted to another slot and trimmed to a three-round contest.
In the comments section of Whittaker's recent Instagram post, a fan asked 'The Reaper' if the Chimaev fight would be a three-rounder. In response, Whittaker clarified that it will be a five-round contest.
Check out Robert Whittaker's interaction with the fan below:
While Whittaker has confirmed the Chimaev fight to be a five-rounder, the UFC's official website still displays the fight below Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov.
Robert Whittaker explains why he agreed to fight Khamzat Chimaev
After starting his career with quick turnarounds and dominant performances, Khamzat Chimaev has struggled with lingering health issues over the last few years, which has derailed his momentum in the UFC.
Reactions and social media conversations have suggested that some fans did not approve of him getting a second chance to fight a former champion and top-ranked fighter in Robert Whittaker.
However, the Australian clarified his stance on the issue and explained why he accepted the fight in the Aug. 7 episode of the MMArcade podcast:
"That's not how the business works. Business is not completely run on merit. Chimaev is a hard fight. He is obviously a big draw, especially over there in Abu Dhabi. I think story-wise, the UFC wants to see Chimaev get a shot at champion. But I love disrupting their plans, I love derailing their stories. That's why I took the fight."
Check out Robert Whittaker's comments here (2:17).