Fans slamming Khamzat Chimaev’s latest performance might just be showing they don’t truly understand MMA, at least in the eyes of a former champion.
Last weekend, in the main event of UFC 319 at Chicago’s United Center, Chimaev fulfilled his long-awaited dream of becoming UFC middleweight champion, dominating Dricus du Plessis en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Right out of the gate, "Borz" wasted no time dragging Du Plessis to the canvas, where he smothered him with unrelenting pressure for nearly the entire contest. Chimaev dictated the pace with chain wrestling and suffocating top control, converting 12 of 17 takedown attempts and racking up an astonishing 529 total strikes that left the defending champion stuck on the defensive.
Despite his dominance, the undefeated Russian rarely threatened a finish, with most of his offense coming as steady ground strikes rather than fight-ending blows. Even so, the sheer volume and control left "Stillknocks" little chance to respond, and by the end of five lopsided rounds, the judges awarded Khamzat Chimaev a 50-44 unanimous decision.
Though a segment of fight fans dismissed the matchup as dull instead of the thrilling spectacle it was hyped to be, Robert Whittaker holds a decidedly different view.
Robert Whittaker Slams Fans Who Dismissed Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 319 Performance
During a recent episode of the 
The former UFC 185-pound titleholder voiced strong disapproval of fans who dismissed Chimaev’s grappling-heavy approach, insisting that anyone who downplays "Borz’s" ability to dominate a fighter of Du Plessis’ caliber for the full 25 minutes simply doesn’t understand the magnitude of his control.
Anyone that says it’s a boring fight is a casual,” Whittaker said. "If you’re a fan of the sport and you’re not fascinated by Chimaev’s ability to control someone as dogged as Dricus, who’s gotten out of things time and time again, who physically never gasses, super strong, has cardio for days, if you’re not fascinated by such one-sided domination, then you have to be a casual. You never see this level at a championship fight, this level of control. We just saw someone get crucifixed for 15 minutes. How can you be a fan of the sport and not think, ‘wow, that’s crazy?‘
With this victory, Khamzat Chimaev has extended his undefeated streak to 15, including notable wins over the likes of Whittaker, Kamaru Usman, and Gilbert Burns.
