Robert Whittaker hilariously responds to Russian reporter’s unusual question about the 'The Reaper's' team
Robert Whittaker will be met with a major challenge in the shape of Khamzat Chimaev when they fight at UFC 308 on Oct. 26. Ahead of the bout, the former middleweight champion had to navigate a challenging question from an MMA reporter hailing from Russia.
The reporter stated that he had seen footage of Whittaker's team and concluded that none of his training partners could imitate the fighting style of 'Borz.'
The question was posed in Russian, and needed to be translated during the media scrum, which could have caused some wording issues. But no less, 'The Reaper' handled the question with his usual grace and humor.
The reporter said this:
"By physicality he's a very uncomfortable opponent. He's tall, he's a really good wrestler. I'm looking right now at your team and I don't see anybody who can replicate him. How do you feel about that?"
After a momentary pause and a chuckle, the 33-year old said this:
"I train with tall guys at home. I just didn't bring them with me."
Catch Robert Whittaker's comments below (12:30):
Robert Whittaker predicts KO win over Khamzat Chimaev
Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev are set to clash in a five-round co-main event at UFC 308.
Having previously been scheduled to fight at UFC Saudi Arabia in June, Chimaev was forced out of the bout due to illness. This time around, however, the pair both appear to be fit and raring to go ahead of the re-booked matchup, which many believe will be a middleweight title eliminator.
There is much anticipation surrounding how 'The Reaper' will contend with the intensity of Chimaev, as well as his wrestling skillset. On the other hand, there have been questions surrounding Chimaev's endurance and how he will handle a five-round fight with Whittaker, given that the Chechen has shown himself to fade in his previous bouts.
The former middleweight champion was recently interviewed by Michael Bisping ahead of his clash, where the Australian shared this prediction:
"I confidently go into fights expecting their best day. Expecting him to put his best foot forward, and I'm going to beat him across the board. The idea isn't to win if I get this sort of scenario, no. It's to beat him everywhere."
He continued:
"I'm gonna knock him out, the idea is to get in there and put it on his face."
Catch Robert Whittaker's comments below (4:00):