ABU DHABI – Robert Whittaker vows to match Khamzat Chimaev’s pace at UFC 308.
Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) will look to hand Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) his first-career loss in Saturday’s co-main event at Etihad Arena (pay-per-view, ESPN+). This will mark Chimaev’s first five-round fight, whereas former UFC middleweight champion Whittaker has competed in numerous five rounders. Chimaev doesn’t plan on changing his approach, and Whittaker is ready for it.
“I am expecting him to come out hard and aggressive from the first second to the last,” Whittaker told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day. “And I have prepared accordingly for that. I’ve prepared for the hardest fight of my life, to start extremely hard, like sprinting for the first 5 to 10 minutes, but also drag it out the five (rounds). I’m ready to sprint for 25 minutes if so, and I’m coming for war.”
Chimaev said Whittaker knows how to lose, but he doesn’t. While that statement might be true, Whittaker takes that as motivation.
“Experience,” Whittaker answered on what makes him different from Chimaev’s prior opponents. “I’m good at what I do. I’m a different fighter than he’s fought before, and I guess maybe the fact that I know how to lose, it gives me strength, it gives me a reason why I don’t like being there, why I don’t want that to be my reality. It sucks, so I’m going to go out there and give him a taste of it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
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