"The more people hate on him the more I like him" - Robert Whittaker wants Belal Muhammad to capture 170-pound belt just to see the "uproar"
Robert Whittaker is set to make his return to the octagon in June when he faces Khamzat Chimaev to headline UFC on ABC 6, which will mark the promotion's first trip to Saudi Arabia. 'The Reaper' recently weighed in on Belal Muhammad not receiving a welterweight title opportunity, revealing that he hopes 'Remember the Name' becomes champion.
Speaking on his podcast MMArcade, the No.3-ranked middleweight stated:
"The more people hate on him, the more I like him. It's just bringing me to his side. I love it. I love it. It's a fight I want to see. I want to see Belal with the belt wrapped around him. That would upset a lot of people. The uproar would be fantastic. Not to say I want Leon to lose because I like Leon Edwards very much. I'm just saying, it would be a funny dynamic."
Check out Robert Whittaker's comments on Belal Muhammad below:
Muhammad has not competed since defeating Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision at UFC 288 last May. The No.2-ranked welterweight is 9-0 (1) over his past ten bouts, with his no-contest coming against Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 187. He has called for a title opportunity and rematch with 'Rocky', who now holds the belt.
While the welterweight champion accepted three opponents for a potential UFC 300 clash, 'Remember the Name' was not offered a title opportunity. He was in attendance, however, calling on the promotion to give him a call to compete at UFC 301, UFC 302, UFC 303, or UFC 304.
Georges St-Pierre believes Robert Whittaker can make Khamzat Chimaev look bad
Robert Whittaker is set to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC on ABC 6, with a middleweight title opportunity on the line. Georges St-Pierre recently revealed that he believes 'The Reaper' can make the undefeated 'Borz' look bad. Speaking to Niko Pajarillo of Main Event TV, the former two-division champion 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 full comments below:
Whittaker, who was in the studio during the interview, agreed with the UFC Hall of Famer that his karate style is difficult for opponents. He noted that he believes Chimaev will look to wrestle and is confident in his takedown defense.