Robert Whittaker has request for Khamzat Chimaev after latter's immediate reaction to UFC Saudi Arabia
Robert Whittaker recently responded to Khamzat Chimaev's immediate reaction to Whittaker winning at UFC Saudi Arabia. According to 'The Reaper", he wants some time for himself before considering a fight with Chimaev.
Whittaker squared off against Ikram Aliskerov, who stepped in on short notice as a replacement for Chimaev, who was forced to withdraw from the middleweight bout due to a serious illness.
The Australian ended Aliskerov's seven-fight winning streak by easily dispatching his opponent. The final sequence was started by Whittaker with a clean one-two and a hard right that put Aliskerov on his back. The Russian was forced to the canvas by the former UFC middleweight champion, who applied further pressure and struck him with a perfect uppercut against the fence.
Shortly after, Chimaev went to X and behaved more politely than normal. As Whittaker's initial opponent, he reminded them of their unresolved business while praising the Australian's performance. In addition, he took the opportunity to offer support to Aliskerov, writing:
"Congratulations @robwhittakermma we are not done! I wish you a speedy recovery @ikram_aliskerov keep your head up brother."
During the post-fight press conference, Whittaker was questioned about Chimaev's comments following his second straight victory. The 33-year-old Whittaker laughed it off and advised Chimaev to ease up on the brakes a little bit because he had just finished a fight. Additionally, he emphasized that he will fight 'Borz' at a later date, saying:
''Don’t jump me as soon as I finish a fight. I don’t want people to do that — I say that, but I probably did that once or twice as well. Let me have this one for a little bit, all right? We can settle the score another day.”[H/t: MMA Fighting]
Robert Whittaker responds to a reporter's question about Khamzat Chimaev
Robert Whittaker is widely known for his classy demeanor, whether he wins or loses. This trait was also clearly demonstrated at the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight news conference after he decisively defeated Ikram Aliskerov by first-round knockout.
During the post-fight press conference, a reporter asked Whittaker about the change in the matchup, implying that if the 33-year-old had faced his original opponent, Khamzat Chimaev instead, the outcome could have been different. The former UFC middleweight champion responded to the controversial question, saying:
''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."
Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below (52:51):