Robert Whittaker handles Russian reporter's controversial question about Khamzat Chimaev with class: "If I had wheels, I'd be a bike"
Robert Whittaker is well renowned for his gracious conduct in victory or defeat. That characteristic was also on full display at the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press conference following his emphatic first-round knockout victory over Ikram Aliskerov.
The Australian dispatched his opponent with ease and snapped his seven-fight winning streak. 'The Reaper' initiated the finishing sequence with a crisp one-two and a sharp right that put Aliskerov on rubber legs. The former UFC middleweight champion amplified the pressure and caught the Russian with a clean uppercut against the fence that sent him crashing to the canvas.
Check out the finish below:
Aliskerov stepped in as a late replacement for Khamzat Chimaev, who was forced to pull out of the originally scheduled bout against Whittaker due to an illness. A reporter at the post-fight press conference asked Whittaker about the change in the matchup, seemingly hinting at a different outcome had the 33-year-old squared off against Chimaev. He asked:
"How do you see this whole situation playing out for you? If not for the Khamzat fight being canceled, probably things would play differently. You'd have to fight five rounds, and possibly lose... Are you happy with the way things played out now that you have a good victory?"
The former UFC middleweight champion handled the controversial question with grace, stating:
"Mate, if I had wheels I'd be a bike. Am I right? It is what it is? What if I ordered scrambled eggs instead of waffles this morning? I don't know. I don't know how to respond to that properly."
Catch the full interaction below (52:20):
Robert Whittaker believes he accomplished his goal of being "the hunter" against Ikram Aliskerov
Vintage Robert Whittaker was on full display as he dismantled Ikram Aliskerov's challenge in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia without much trouble.
The Australian took care of business, securing a knockout victory at the 1:49 mark of the first round. This was his first victory by a finish since April 2017 and his 10th professional victory by KO/ TKO.
With this win, Whittaker has rebounded from the loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 with back-to-back wins, inching closer to the title contention picture. Speaking about his performance at the post-fight press conference, Whittaker stated:
"I was preparing for an absolute 25-minute slugfest. I was preparing for a war, an absolute dogfight. I told this before that I have this mentality of being the hunter. I want to get in there and I want to stalk my prey. I want to be the predator and I feel like I accomplished that."
Catch Whittaker's comments below (41:30):