ABU DHABI – Khamzat Chimaev is assured he’ll be capable of take Robert Whittaker to his world with ease.
Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 308 co-main occasion at Etihad Enviornment in Abu Dhabi (pay-per-view, ESPN+). When requested if he thinks he might stand with Whittaker, Chimaev mentioned he doesn’t see the struggle enjoying on the market.
“Who did cease my takedowns?” Chimaev advised MMA Junkie and different reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day. “No one. So, I don’t assume this man will probably be totally different. Kamaru Usman has been an ideal champ, and he took down everybody. However I took him down. I dominate him within the rounds straightforward. What’s going to be totally different with taekwondo or karate man in comparison with Usman, who’s been a wrestler? He was knowledgeable wrestler earlier than.”
Chimaev hasn’t competed since defeating former UFC welterweight champion Usman final October at UFC 294. He has just lately skilled some well being points and appeared to decelerate late in his current wins over Gilbert Burns and Usman.
However Chimaev assures that regardless of this being his first scheduled five-round struggle, he’s nonetheless going to storm out of the gate like at all times.
“I’ve been pushing from first second to final second in my sparring, however I don’t assume it will likely be totally different within the cage, as properly,” Chimaev mentioned. “I didn’t say something about my well being earlier than the Usman struggle, so everybody thinks Khamzat went into the cage wholesome, but it surely wasn’t that. I used to be sick within the morning earlier than the struggle. I didn’t discover an excuse. I didn’t cry.”
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