Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker prediction, decide: Will ex-champ hand rising star first loss?

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to interrupt down the largest fights within the UFC. At this time, he takes a more in-depth have a look at the UFC 308 co-main occasion between Khamzat Chimaev and former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.

Khamzat Chimaev UFC 308 preview

Khamzat Chimaev

Staple information:

• Report: 13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC
• Top: 6’2″ Age: 30 Weight: 185 lbs. Attain: 75″
• Final struggle: Resolution win over Kamaru Usman (Oct. 21, 2023)
• Camp: ADMA Academy (Abu Dhabi)
• Stance/putting fashion: Swap-stance/kickboxing
• Danger administration: Honest

Supplemental information:
+ Nationwide champion in freestyle wrestling (SE)
^ Gained a number of years and weight divisions
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ Novice MMA accolades
+ 7 KO victories
+ 5 submission victories
+ 8 first-round finishes
+ KO energy
+ Aggressive tempo and strain
+ Steadily enhancing putting and footwork
^ Stable jab from each stances
+ Favors entrance kicks from open stance
+ Very good wrestling skill
^ Offensively and defensively
+ Glorious transitional grappling
^ Good positional consciousness and punishing course of

Robert Whittaker UFC 308 preview

Robert Whittaker

• Report: 27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC
• Top: 6’0″ Age: 33 Weight: 185 lbs. Attain: 73.5″
• Final struggle: Knockout win over Ikram Aliskerov (June 22, 2024)
• Camp: Gracie Jiu-jitsu Smeaton Grange (Australia)
• Stance/putting fashion: Orthodox/kickboxing
• Danger administration: Good

Supplemental information:
+ Former UFC middleweight champion
+ Hapkido and karate black belt
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Australian Nationwide Wrestling Championships gold medal
+ 11 knockout victories
+ 5 submission wins
+ 7 first-round finishes
+ KO energy
+ Constant tempo and strain
+ Good footwork and distance administration
^ Fast blitzes and misleading tempo modifications
+ Correct jabs and hooks
^ Coming ahead or off the counter
+ Glorious wrestling skill
^ Defensively and offensively
+ Improved general grappling

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker focal point: Straight shooters

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

The co-main occasion for UFC 308 options an necessary matchup between two top-ranked middleweights who’re no strangers to working off of linear offense.

Regardless of coming from a wrestling base, Khamzat Chimaev seems to be snug putting from each stances.

The Chechen fighter can fireplace off snappy jabs from both facet, which, in flip, assist him comply with up with energy pictures.

Except his opponent carries an honest grappling pedigree, Chimaev normally wastes little time extending putting exchanges earlier than trying to change his stage and wrestle. Nevertheless, in latest outings, we’ve seen Chimaev play a bit extra with open-stance seems to be on the toes.

Whether or not he’s throwing his favored entrance kick or trying to line up a depraved proper hand, Chimaev appears to be gaining a style for open-stance affairs. That stated, Chimaev’s expertise don’t precisely shine by within the defensive division, so the 30-year-old will want to ensure he’s respecting what’s coming again at him this Saturday.

Enter Robert Whittaker.

Coming from a conventional martial arts base, Whittaker has developed into probably the most distinctive putting stylists at 185 kilos.

Utilizing a mixture of pace, accuracy and a fluid economic system of motion, the Australian will deceptively blitz off completely different angles. Like many karate-based strikers, Whittaker will feint or present a sure pace to attract his opponent right into a false sense of safety, solely to disrupt the perceived timing with off-beat strikes.

As we’ve seen in a number of fights, Whittaker usually will assert himself by rear-legged entrance kicks that he makes use of to launch himself into variations of left hooks and shifting overhand pictures. The previous champ additionally has no situation on the subject of sticking to his fundamentals, constructing offense off of misleading jabs and feints.

That stated, Whittaker will not be past being taxed for his generally low-handed method and can have to be on his finest conduct – notably early.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker breakdown: Profitable the wrestling

Russia’s Khamzat Chimaev (black) and Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman (white) compete of their Middleweight bout through the Final Preventing Championship 294 (UFC) occasion on the Etihad Area in Abu Dhabi on October 21, 2023. (Picture by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Picture by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP through Getty Photos)

Contemplating the controversial crux of Chimaev’s recreation, profitable the wrestling will stay paramount for each events.

Wrestling because the age of 5, Chimaev has seemingly tailored to the grappling arts like second nature. From a lightning-fast shot to unimaginable wherewithal throughout the clinch, Chimaev appears to have all of it from a wrestling perspective.

The 30-year-old shows plenty of the freestyle (and even Greco) seems to be that you’d affiliate together with his a part of the world, but additionally demonstrates plenty of the positional rides that historically come simpler to American folkstyle wrestlers. And when Chimaev took the again of Li Jingliang at UFC 267, the Chechen fighter confirmed off some very competent jiu-jitsu to shut to indicate through rear-naked choke.

Rewatching Khamzat Chimaev’s first newbie MMA struggle and completely forgot concerning the makeshift playpen full of youngsters cage-side who ended up getting a entrance row seat for this end (*be aware the youngest woman cheering): pic.twitter.com/2XT9d0IWul

— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) October 1, 2020

From early in his regional profession to his more moderen battle with Gilbert Burns, Chimaev has proven strong submission and wrestling protection in a number of eventualities. Whether or not somebody is searching for Chimaev’s legs or trying to re-guard, the product from the Allstars Coaching Middle sometimes offers his opposition little or no to work with – all whereas staying busy with offense of his personal.

That stated, Whittaker has confirmed to be rather more tough to regulate than many presumed he would when initially shifting as much as 185 kilos.

Apart from the truth that Whittaker’s footwork makes it tough for his opponents to arrange their pictures, the Australian additionally reveals the small technical intricacies that make him laborious to floor or maintain down when grasped.

For instance, whereas most fighters are reliant on extra conventional defenses reminiscent of sprawls or battles for under-hooks, they sometimes find yourself dropping out to superior grapplers since these defensive techniques contain a dedication to contact (which in flip begets extra grappling).

Whereas Whittaker, although able to utilizing these defenses, doesn’t depend on them. As an alternative, “The Reaper” prefers to move off takedown makes an attempt on the cross.

Already possessing a powerful base and stability, Whittaker’s hip and grip consciousness even have improved by the years.

Not solely does Whittaker make the most of grip breaks and wrist controls, however the 33-year-old can also be disciplined about constantly circling out to his opponent’s weak facet, which helps dissuade re-shots and takedown chain changes from his foes. Even Romero had problem greedy or chaining off his preliminary makes an attempt resulting from Whittaker’s persistence to struggle arms.

What’s much more spectacular is Whittaker’s skill to go from thwarting takedown makes an attempt to putting off the breaks (which may even seemingly hold Chimaev sincere in exchanges with him).

Nonetheless, if Whittaker does discover himself on the underside on this struggle, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will have to be further cautious together with his propensity to search for underhook getups given Chimaev’s front-choke acumen.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker odds

Robert Whittaker def. Ikram Aliskerov, UFC on ABC 6 (through UFC)

The oddsmakers and the general public are siding with the Chechen fighter, itemizing Chimaev -250 and Whittaker +198 through FanDuel.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker prediction, decide

Between the bookmakers loving undefeated fighters to the promotional hype that’s been placed on Chimaev, seeing him put in as a reasonable favourite doesn’t shock me within the slightest.

Hypothesis about his well being apart, Chimaev is absolute hell on wheels for the primary 5-7 minutes of a struggle.

Nevertheless, after that time, the prospect-turned-contender begins to look extremely human. And as Arnold Schwarzenegger stated within the movie PREDATOR, “If it bleeds, we will kill it.”

Chimaev could not have been wholesome for his final outing reverse Kamaru Usman, however that doesn’t change the truth that we’ve but to see Chimaev convincingly win a 3rd body, a lot much less a fourth or fifth.

Whereas Whittaker, who may be very conversant in five-round affairs, historically does properly over 25 minutes resulting from his constant output and skill to regulate.

Add in the truth that Whittaker normally excels towards grapple-first fighters, and I can’t assist however facet with the extra confirmed product at plus cash.

I’ll formally decide Whittaker to outlive the early storms en path to a stoppage through strikes that come late into Spherical 3.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker begin time, the place to observe

Because the co-main occasion, Chimaev and Whittaker are anticipated to make their walks to the octagon at roughly 3:45 p.m. ET. The struggle streams reside on ESPN+ pay-per-view.