Robert Whittaker in "top-form", primed for a "wrestling-heavy" clash against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC Fight Night
Robert Whittaker is set to make his second trip to the octagon this year when he faces Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC on ABC 6 in just over three weeks. The card will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the promotion's first-ever trip to the nation. 'The Reaper' recently revealed that he is preparing for a wrestling-heavy bout.
Speaking on his podcast, MMArcade, the No.3-ranked middleweight stated:
"I'm feeling great. Training has been really, really good. I'm in top form. I think having the fight camps so close to each other and the fights so close to each other really led itself to me starting this camp multiple levels ahead of where I normally start camps. My gas tank is bigger, my weight was lower. It's been a much better camp than the previous ones."
He continued:
"Obviously, there's been a lot of wrestling. There's no secret. It's been a lot of wrestling. I expect him to come out wrestling heavy. He's got a good one-two down the pipe. I'm preparing for those. I'm preparing for a striking fight. I'm preparing for a wrestling scramble. It's five rounds. My lungs are good. I'm expecting the best."
Check out Robert Whittaker's comments on his camp ahead of Khamzat Chimaev clash below:
Whittaker was able to win his last bout, defeating Paulo Costa via unanimous decision at UFC 298 in February. Meanwhile, Chimaev last competed at UFC 294 last October, defeating Kamaru Usman via majority decision.
Georges St-Pierre believes Robert Whittaker can defeat Khamzat Chimaev
While he was less than impressive in his last trip to the octagon, Khamzat Chimaev was able to remain undefeated. Georges St-Pierre believes that could change when he faces Robert Whittaker later this month. Speaking to Niko Pajarillo of Main Event TV, the UFC Hall of Famer claimed that 'The Reaper' is stylistically capable of making 'Borz' look bad 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 full comments on Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev below:
Whittaker, who was in the studio live during St-Pierre's interview, agreed with the two-division champion's assessment of his upcoming clash. The bout will mark Chimaev's first real test at middleweight as 'The Reaper' is his first ranked opponent in the weight class, while it will also serve as the first five-round bout of his mixed martial arts career.