Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker are on a collision course this Saturday night when they meet in the UFC 308 co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Heading into the fight, Chimaev is confident in his ability to take Whittaker to the ground using his wrestling skills—and do so with ease. He envisions this tactic playing out throughout the fight.
Takedown Advantage
“Who has stopped my takedowns?” Chimaev told MMA Junkie. “Nobody. So, I don’t think this guy will be any different. Kamaru Usman was a great champ, and he took everyone down. But I took him down. I dominated him easily in the rounds. What’s going to be different with a taekwondo or karate guy compared to Usman, who’s been a wrestler? He was a professional wrestler before.”
Chimaev hasn’t fought since his victory over former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman last October at UFC 294, as health issues slowed him down. Before that, he also scored a win against Gilbert Burns.
Despite the long layoff, Chimaev assures fans that he will come out strong, as they’ve come to expect from him, even in this five-round bout.
