Robert Whittaker is stylistic nightmare who could make Khamzat Chimaev "look bad," says UFC legend Georges St-Pierre
Robert Whittaker is set to make his return to the octagon when he faces Khamzat Chimaev in June. The bout will headline UFC on ABC 6, which will mark the promotion's first trip to Saudi Arabia. Georges St-Pierre recently weighed in on the matchup, claiming that 'The Reaper' can make the undefeated 'Borz' look bad.
Speaking to Niko Pajarillo of Main Event TV, the UFC Hall of Famer Whittaker stated:
"If there is a guy that can stop Chimaev, it's Robert Whittaker because if you look at Chimaev, we can compare it, in a way, to Yoel Romero where Romero was a very good wrestler, very explosive and powerful guy, and Whittaker was the kryptonite of Yoel Romero, was able to beat him twice. So, stylistically, he's very capable of doing the same to Chimaev - to make Chimaev look bad."
St-Pierre noted that Whittaker has an unusual style before adding:
"He's from a karate background like I am and Robert Whittaker utilizes all his karate skills very, very well. His footwork and control of the distance, he's a master at it. So, I think if there's a guy to stop Chimaev now, that has the possibility to do so, it's Robert Whittaker, but he's going to have to be on his A-game because Chimaev is no joke and he seems unstoppable right now."
Check out Georges St-Pierre's comments below:
Whittaker, who was in the studio live during St-Pierre's interview, agreed with the two-division champion's assessment of his upcoming bout. He noted that his karate style is tricky for opponents to deal with. The No.3-ranked middleweight believes that Chimaev will look to wrestle, however, he remains confident in his wrestling defense.
Michael Bisping weighs in on Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Georges St-Pierre is not the only UFC Hall of Famer who has suggested that Khamzat Chimaev could suffer the first loss of his mixed martial arts career when he faces Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6. Speaking on his podcast, Believe You Me, Bisping stated:
"This is the first five round fight that he's been in, which, automatically, if you're in the corner of Khamzat Chimaev, you've got to be concerned. One thing Robert Whittaker is not going to do is run out of gas. He's very, very experienced fighting at the highest level for a long time. Without getting into the X's and O's, the obvious thing is Khamzat always gasses... Five rounds against somebody like Robert Whittaker, if he can't finish him early, that could be a disastrous night for him in Saudi Arabia."
Check out Michael Bisping's full comments below:
Bisping cited Chimaev's previous two bouts, against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, as examples of him struggling after the first round. In addition to fighting in a five-round bout for the first time in his mixed martial arts career, Chimaev is set to face a ranked middleweight opponent for the first time. There have been plenty of questions about whether or not the undefeated 'Borz' will be able to hold up at middleweight, with many questioning how he will look against the division's elite.