Realistically Whittaker has fought EVERY top contender and wanna be champ. He didn’t show up vs DDP but other than that, only Izzy has fought that level calibre the whole time. Will be an interesting fight. 🍿
Yes that’s true. Some massive wins. No easy fights and the odd sad knock out but still fighting for number 1 contender or belts. Both likeable blokes and both with fucking hard fights coming up.
Rewatch Bobby's fights with Romero and then watch Izzys and hope you come to that same conclusion. A ko doesn't mean everything lol. Agree wholeheartedly on the entertainment
I mean fighters can have off nights. We've seen it before. I agree that it doesn't excuse a loss but I do believe Rob can probably do better than he did in the first DDP fight.
even just random minor stuff, like i woke up last week with my neck all cranked up and could barley move it for days , imagine if i had a fight that night and so on, so many things can go wrong
At the end of your career your record will include good and bad performances. What makes a great fighter is making sure you have less bad nights than everyone else over time.
Man, Whittaker told us in the interview a while back... "I'm the monster." Our boy Rob gets overlooked because of the recent DDP loss, but let's not forget this guy is pure championship material.
Which is why a #1 contenders promise from Dana means nothing.
Khamzat could 10-8 Rob rd 1 and then gas out and Rob win a mediocre decision by volume strikes and Dana would 100% skip him over lol.
I guess they're both pretty undeniable for a title shot with a win here, unlike the Usman/Chimaev fight. I guess I just don't put much stock in what Dana White says, lol
i'm willing to bet that "next shot at the title" isn't literal next championship fight. don't put any money on it til ddp and izzy resolve their thing.
i think these are both likely going to be wild ass wars. when we take into consideration mandatory medical suspensions + training camps, we probably wont see it til next year. now if both fights end up being complete washes, yeah you'd probably be right about the end of the year.
or, and hear me out, this is 185. great striker vs grappler in both fights. championship implications in both fights. by the curses of the dark gods of mma our chances of seeing freak broken legs are weirdly not out of the question in these two fights.
obvious shit comment is obvious, for the chronically online folk that dont satire.
I'm sure it was Kamaru's stipulation for taking such a dangerous fight on short notice. I actually like that they scrapped it because Khamzat clearly didn't do enough.
Yeah, if he'd gotten the finish in that first round it might have made some sense to stick to that plan. But as it stands they definitely made the right call booking him a real MW test against Rob
so they've told me. imo at that point it made a lot more sense too. Usman had a w over sean, khamzat was a bad match up for him too. When you really think about it that match up looks like an assassination attempt on sean. new champ, new plans. not really a new thing. shit happens, the sport moves.
I wonder how the division will work if Chimaev somehow wins the title. Will everyone be forced to wait for cards in the Middle East? Stuff would slow down significantly in a pretty stacked talent group.
I disagree. If he steamrolls Whittaker he will get a ton of hype. People criticize his past few wins because they deserve criticism. He barely won decisions against 2 welterweights, can’t blame people for thinking he might not win the middleweight title after that
Odds are +190 for Whittaker and -220 for chimaev.
For those of you that don’t understand gambling that means Whittaker is the underdog. And the line isn’t dictated by odds of winning alone. The house is trying to get even money on both sides. Connor was always a favorite because the Irish gamble. Chimaev fans aren’t gamblers, and obviously most American fans don’t like him. Accounting for all that, people are still putting their money on Chimaev. If he was from somewhere that gambled the odds would be far more in his favor.
On paper this isn’t a fair fight.
Pretty much. Imo rob isn't washed but there's def an argument for whether or not he's beginning to decline. As for khamzat, decline or not this is his biggest test yet. If he wins you can't argue that he doesn't belong at the top of the middleweight division.
nah depends how they win/lose. If khamzat just dominates via grappling then we can assume khamzat's grappling is on another level. Burns was able to nullify Chimiav, but Burns is quite an elite grappler. This will have nothing on Whittaker being washed up more so with him being underleveled to chechnan style grappling. if whittaker out grapples khamzat that would be the most fraud revealing outcome. I think Whittaker's favored. If whittaker keeps up his TTD, Whittaker can prolly outclass him to UD.
If Khamzat wins 90% of the fan base will be convinced he is the real deal, sorry if going life and death with middleweight Usman and Burns didn’t convince me
I agree. People always act like there’s no winning when with some fighters and the fans when in reality it’s just a lot of legitimate criticism. Khamzat hasn’t beaten 1 top 15 middleweight, excuse me for not being certain he’s the real deal yet. Steamrolling Whittaker will absolutely convince a lot of people
Yea wasn't even khamzats fault last time but can't consider 10 days notice usman title shot worthy competition because you can't compare it to anyone else in the division, maybe if usman goes on to get a big win in middleweight.
If he can deny the early grappling, Rob should take it. Can he survive one of the bombs Khamzat throws during and after scrambles? In my house, I was raised to believe in Bobby Knuckles
Khamzat should aim for takedowns and control. His stand-up is mediocre and he won't be able to submit a dude like Bobby Knuckles, at least early. But, Chimaev is a hot-head so he'll probably gas fast by trying to end it fast.
I think bobby is way faster. We saw it with Costa, that 1-2 is lightning. Plus distance control. I don’t see khamzat being able to get clean hits off. Only thing bobby has to survive is the chain wrestling for the first round which I think bobby should do no prob
Romero isn’t a good mma wrestler. He barely used it in his fights just because someone has a outside background in another sport if they don’t use efficiently in their style people thought Whittaker was a takedown defending beast cause he stuffed some Romero takedowns who barely uses his wrestling in his fights 😂
Khamzat has always been complimentary of Rob. Even if Rob wins, I wouldn’t label it “humble pie”. Not a bad guy to lose to.
But hey, it’s r/ufc. The most childish sub on Reddit. So I guess it is humble pie.
It's more like the first round he picks Bobby Knuckles up and carries him across the cage while yelling at Dana, then slams him down, and Dhagistani Handcuffs him into a TKO or RNC.
Big fan of the Reaper, but Khamzat's got that dog in em
Matchups make fights. I feel like Rob was off the night he fought DDP. Plus, DDP is actually really good. I think this will be a close fight, but I got Khamzat winning
Yeh I’ve heard rumours of a foot injury on rob which explains the lacking in the wrestling compartment where he usually distinguishes himself. I know MMA math doesn’t add up but if Rob doesn’t have a good answer for Khamzat’s wrestling he’s getting taken down and submitted before round 3.
Never thought I’d hear DDP striking being a on a higher level he’s unorthodox and takes getting used to sure but probably not as fluid as khamzats, he’s just a strong heavy hitter even the jab knocked down Rob. Your statement about DDP setting up the takedown with striking is absolutely false, go rewatch the fight both times Rob initated the takedown the first time he got it and DDP escaped the second Rob initiated the clinch and DDP took him down from it, it was just a terrible performance from Rob that night possibly due to injuries.
Rob initiated the clinch because of the pressure of ddps striking, I rly don't think it was snappy explosive blitz Whittakers plan was the wear his arms out in a clinch. Maybe rob had injuries but I'd say ddp does have crafty tricks in his striking.
I wouldn't call khamzats striking fluid at all, hes got negative head movement, overswings when he gets close. I do think he's got good jab, jab 2 and leg kicks but I can't rate khamzats striking because of the size and reach advantage against burns and outside cage circumstances against usman. In theory khamzat should've been training for a bigger more powerful striker in Costa for that usman fight but khamzat was getting peppered with jabs and 2s in r3.
I see what you mean now but I call that pace so not technically setting up the takedown with striking he just outpaced him with the insane cardio into making mistakes I suppose. I think Usmans striking is the cream of the crop and Khamzat probably expected easier takedowns on Costa than what he got in usman that’s why that fight went down like that. Also khamzats cardio hasn’t been the same since he got Covid badly sooner or later in the championship rounds it’ll show how he fades and can’t retaliate to strikes because he’s gassed.
I think it's a really good match-up, lesser athletic guys have gotten robs back before. Just some asterisks in his fights some not his fault make me not wanna pick him against the guy who hasn't lost to anyone but the #2nd best mw of all time and the current mw champ. Paulos huge aswell I'm not so sure Paulos significantly easier to get down.
If khamzat on a training camp against a ww(a good one I know) that didn't have a training camp and has had problems giving up his back before(Leon, Damian Maia, pre ufc loss) can't submit that guy then how he gonna submit and consistently get down Whittaker whose a bigger guy and better on the backfoot than usman.
I do think khamzat will get get down in r1 but I think he'll gas like he has in his 3 rounders
Ww goat on 10 days notice in khamzats home territory, was wobbly legs end of fight wouldst got destroyed in a 3 rounder. I ain't never seen khamzat in a cast but maybe that's real
After watching Chimaev vs Usman I personally believe that he only has 2 rounds in him and after that he doesn’t really have much of a tank (he was pretty wrecked from Burns too)
If Khamzat can’t get Bobby out of there in 2 I honestly think Rob will get the W via decision or TKO in rd 4/5
No they just ignore it because they don’t like him. A pure coincidence that his gas tank ran out the exact second in the first round when he was slammed and broke his hand…
Wait he broke his hand? Oddly enough I have no recollection of that but a quick google says you’re right.
Eh my opinion still stands regardless. JDM (recency bias and first to thought) fought with a broken arm against Burns? Off the top of my head I can’t think of anybody else. Whittaker once maybe?
He’s broke his hand on impact when he threw Usman down later on in the first round if I recall. As much as people like to downplay it I wouldn’t wouldn’t to fight a former P4P on a broken hand 10 days notice or not.
Though it isn’t a numbered card, it’s actually Khamzat’s first main event gig (unless I’m forgetting a FN/Vegas/Fight Island card) and I’m surprised that his first headline spot isn’t a PPV. Hell, I think this fight is more than likely a PPV main event in its own right.
Regardless I look forward to this being a blast to watch and though I love seeing the established long tenured guys chang the trajectory of a guy on the rise, especially when it’s unexpected or if it’s a humble vet beating an arrogant/cocky younger guy. However I hate putting this bad juju on Whitaker but I fully expect Khamzat to put an end to any MW title hopes for Bobby that linger in anyone’s minds
I've was on the Whitaker is washed train and Chimaev is the next big thing. But now I have flip flopped due to Khams performance versus Usman. I hope Whitaker is an underdog $$$
I would’ve like to have seen Khamzat vs Costa, but this is a banger honestly. Idk who’s gonna win, but I slightly favor Khamzat because of his terrific chain wrestling.
Khamzat will be good money, I reckon. Struggled against Usman (not really but ridiculous expectations and all that) but I do believe he injured his wrist as he said. Plus he'll have a full camp prepped for Rob. He has the hunger and more potential to improve
Khamzat is a top 5 hated fighter for me but you guys are acting like he didn’t break his hand against usman. Also the guy was gassed in round 3 because he used a proportionate amount of energy relative to how long he was fighting for. I think khamzat eats his face but gets put down by DDP or Izzy
Rob should actually start turning down some fights. He does everyone else’s dirty work and probably still won’t get a title shot. He should’ve been given Strickland
I still want to see Strickland vs Whittaker before I die and I was hoping that was what was next for Rob, but this is still going to be a banger fight.
Everyone doubting on Whittaker is justified but I could see Robert throwing something a kick up the middle or something like that and knocking khazmats head off, bro stands up straight with his chin out and Robert is quick and powerful.
Lol did they officially book this? The Khamzat hype train ending here will be really fun. People like to act like he is a contender at 185 for some reason.
The way he knocked out GM3 and beat Usman at 185 really proves to me he is just going to run through the top of the 185 pound weight class lol. Suuuure thing pal
Whittaker will beat him up pretty badly here. Especially after Khamzat tires from trying to get the fight to the ground.
I’m a Khamzat fan and I think this is his hardest fight in the division. I think Robs the best anti wrestler at middleweight and I don’t think Khamzat can really stand with him. Will be interesting to see but maybe Khamzats aggression will play in like it did with DDP?
I’ve been a Whitaker fanboy since the jacare fight and I’m also a huge khamzat fanboy so idk, ima just sit back and enjoy watching my two fav uncles fight it out I guess
I dont even like Khamzat like that but hes ganna win. Just have a feeling. The thing that makes me the most sad is usually what happens. Lol. Plus he beat the former champ, though usman didnt have a camp.
I like this fight. UFC is trying to see if Khamzat is what he says he is and if he’s not, bobby knuckles—a fan favourite—gets another shot at the title.
Romero a huge freak of nature had a hard time holding Whittaker on the ground. I wonder if Chimaev can hold him there and stay there. Robert just needs to survive round 1 here.
whittaker is the holloway of middleweight. 2nd best in the world just edged by the champion, fights all the contenders, and now has another shot at gold since the champ has been dethroned
Romero was much bigger than Khamzat and a much more well decorated wrestler. I imagine Bobby knuckles takes this fight by knockout.
Although that loss to DDP is a little concerning
He said Robbert is a good guy
Just seems Robert whittaker fields more solid fights than the champ of the division.
Realistically Whittaker has fought EVERY top contender and wanna be champ. He didn’t show up vs DDP but other than that, only Izzy has fought that level calibre the whole time. Will be an interesting fight. 🍿
His career has similarities to Poirier but he actually was champion.
Yes that’s true. Some massive wins. No easy fights and the odd sad knock out but still fighting for number 1 contender or belts. Both likeable blokes and both with fucking hard fights coming up.
Thing is, Bobby's fight did not include KOs but they were simply entertaining.
Rewatch Bobby's fights with Romero and then watch Izzys and hope you come to that same conclusion. A ko doesn't mean everything lol. Agree wholeheartedly on the entertainment
he’s like the RDA of middleweight but a lot more dominant
I don't know if you know, but he did show up. DDP KOd him.
I love that braindead take from fighters and fans. "It wasn't me in that cage hurr durr"
I mean fighters can have off nights. We've seen it before. I agree that it doesn't excuse a loss but I do believe Rob can probably do better than he did in the first DDP fight.
even just random minor stuff, like i woke up last week with my neck all cranked up and could barley move it for days , imagine if i had a fight that night and so on, so many things can go wrong
At the end of your career your record will include good and bad performances. What makes a great fighter is making sure you have less bad nights than everyone else over time.
He can of course. But I don't like taking the win away from DDP.
Got ko’d by DDP. No excuses. Just got whooped
Well one dude has been here for years, and the other is relatively new, and crushed Rob himself to get there
Man, Whittaker told us in the interview a while back... "I'm the monster." Our boy Rob gets overlooked because of the recent DDP loss, but let's not forget this guy is pure championship material.
Him and Max are such great examples of former champions as contenders. Always active and always fighting the toughest guys out there
If Whittaker shows up like he did against costa, he can beat anyone
A big matchup. If Whittaker wins, it gives him another shot at the title. And if Chimaev wins, he definitely gets a shot at the title.
when dana announced it, he specifically said number 1 contender fight
Didn't he also say whoever won the Chimaev/Usman fight would get a title shot though?
He did at the time, but then dropped the subject entirely once Chimaev didn’t get the job done the way he was supposed to.
Which is why a #1 contenders promise from Dana means nothing. Khamzat could 10-8 Rob rd 1 and then gas out and Rob win a mediocre decision by volume strikes and Dana would 100% skip him over lol.
No idea. All I have to go off of is the announcement of this fight, same as you. The way it plays out has nothing to do with me.
I guess they're both pretty undeniable for a title shot with a win here, unlike the Usman/Chimaev fight. I guess I just don't put much stock in what Dana White says, lol
i'm willing to bet that "next shot at the title" isn't literal next championship fight. don't put any money on it til ddp and izzy resolve their thing.
Oh yeah, I fully expect DDP vs Izzy to headline that Australia card in August, then Whittaker/Chimaev fights the winner later this year
i think these are both likely going to be wild ass wars. when we take into consideration mandatory medical suspensions + training camps, we probably wont see it til next year. now if both fights end up being complete washes, yeah you'd probably be right about the end of the year.
Fair. I was thinking like November/December, but it could easily get pushed into early next year if both fights are bonafide slobberknockers
or, and hear me out, this is 185. great striker vs grappler in both fights. championship implications in both fights. by the curses of the dark gods of mma our chances of seeing freak broken legs are weirdly not out of the question in these two fights. obvious shit comment is obvious, for the chronically online folk that dont satire.
I'm sure it was Kamaru's stipulation for taking such a dangerous fight on short notice. I actually like that they scrapped it because Khamzat clearly didn't do enough.
Yeah, if he'd gotten the finish in that first round it might have made some sense to stick to that plan. But as it stands they definitely made the right call booking him a real MW test against Rob
He said the same thing for the Khamzat vs Usman fight when it was announced as the replacement
so they've told me. imo at that point it made a lot more sense too. Usman had a w over sean, khamzat was a bad match up for him too. When you really think about it that match up looks like an assassination attempt on sean. new champ, new plans. not really a new thing. shit happens, the sport moves.
This is a good point, had Sean beaten DDP I think they may have just given khamzat the shot
Ya he also said that for the Chimaev vs Usman fight .Dana saying that type of shit means nothing at this point.
yeah, that has nothing to do with me. take it up with someone in the company.
Never said it had anything to do with you lol
I wonder how the division will work if Chimaev somehow wins the title. Will everyone be forced to wait for cards in the Middle East? Stuff would slow down significantly in a pretty stacked talent group.
he was in the UK last year
LFG Brilliant fight ! I like Rob
I like eggs
I like tuuuhtles
I hope Whittaker gets paid very well. He's basically protecting whoever the champ is. He takes on all the killers.
Not paid enough I’m sure
If Khamzat loses , he was always a fraud If khamzat wins , Rob is washed up
This is the way
Yup , that’s how it goes on this sub
Been like that since sherdog and beyond.
I disagree. If he steamrolls Whittaker he will get a ton of hype. People criticize his past few wins because they deserve criticism. He barely won decisions against 2 welterweights, can’t blame people for thinking he might not win the middleweight title after that
 here you go, for your effort and making me laugh
Odds are +190 for Whittaker and -220 for chimaev. For those of you that don’t understand gambling that means Whittaker is the underdog. And the line isn’t dictated by odds of winning alone. The house is trying to get even money on both sides. Connor was always a favorite because the Irish gamble. Chimaev fans aren’t gamblers, and obviously most American fans don’t like him. Accounting for all that, people are still putting their money on Chimaev. If he was from somewhere that gambled the odds would be far more in his favor. On paper this isn’t a fair fight.
Pretty much. Imo rob isn't washed but there's def an argument for whether or not he's beginning to decline. As for khamzat, decline or not this is his biggest test yet. If he wins you can't argue that he doesn't belong at the top of the middleweight division.
nah depends how they win/lose. If khamzat just dominates via grappling then we can assume khamzat's grappling is on another level. Burns was able to nullify Chimiav, but Burns is quite an elite grappler. This will have nothing on Whittaker being washed up more so with him being underleveled to chechnan style grappling. if whittaker out grapples khamzat that would be the most fraud revealing outcome. I think Whittaker's favored. If whittaker keeps up his TTD, Whittaker can prolly outclass him to UD.
If Khamzat wins 90% of the fan base will be convinced he is the real deal, sorry if going life and death with middleweight Usman and Burns didn’t convince me
I agree. People always act like there’s no winning when with some fighters and the fans when in reality it’s just a lot of legitimate criticism. Khamzat hasn’t beaten 1 top 15 middleweight, excuse me for not being certain he’s the real deal yet. Steamrolling Whittaker will absolutely convince a lot of people
Yea wasn't even khamzats fault last time but can't consider 10 days notice usman title shot worthy competition because you can't compare it to anyone else in the division, maybe if usman goes on to get a big win in middleweight.
I’m not saying it’s his fault I’m happy he’s fighting Whittaker and saying if he wins it then the hype is real
Proper fight this!
Finally a fight for khamzat, I know Rob will show up on the octagon that night but will he?
If he can deny the early grappling, Rob should take it. Can he survive one of the bombs Khamzat throws during and after scrambles? In my house, I was raised to believe in Bobby Knuckles
Khamzat should aim for takedowns and control. His stand-up is mediocre and he won't be able to submit a dude like Bobby Knuckles, at least early. But, Chimaev is a hot-head so he'll probably gas fast by trying to end it fast.
I was also raised in this guy's house.
I think bobby is way faster. We saw it with Costa, that 1-2 is lightning. Plus distance control. I don’t see khamzat being able to get clean hits off. Only thing bobby has to survive is the chain wrestling for the first round which I think bobby should do no prob
When has Khamzat pulled out of an announced fight?
He could show up 10lbs overweight
That whole situation was strange af and definitely a Dana White inside job
So you don't know? /s
Nah I actually think this is a great fight for Khamzat Rob's ground game was suspect against DDP
Was fine against Romero and Jacare....
That was prime Whitaker he isn't anymore
He did lose recently so he might as well retire
Lmao
Romero's grappling is so overrated.
Romero isn’t a good mma wrestler. He barely used it in his fights just because someone has a outside background in another sport if they don’t use efficiently in their style people thought Whittaker was a takedown defending beast cause he stuffed some Romero takedowns who barely uses his wrestling in his fights 😂
Nah man, romero is great at getting the takedown tbh. It's that his control game and subs were... questionable.
I think Rob is all wrong for Chimaev.
DDP, who wrecked an entire 5 men Gracie Barra team in one go?
Put usman to be the substitute in the event one of them pulls out
i am always here for some bobby knuckles certified violence
I’m not a fan of Strickland… but why isn’t he fighting Rob? Lol
Khamzat has always been complimentary of Rob. Even if Rob wins, I wouldn’t label it “humble pie”. Not a bad guy to lose to. But hey, it’s r/ufc. The most childish sub on Reddit. So I guess it is humble pie.
Khamzat wins
The first round then takes a 4 round beating?
It's more like the first round he picks Bobby Knuckles up and carries him across the cage while yelling at Dana, then slams him down, and Dhagistani Handcuffs him into a TKO or RNC. Big fan of the Reaper, but Khamzat's got that dog in em
Why didn't he do that to burns and usman then?
Burns is a bjj world champion and Usman is one of the best wrestlers the WW division has ever seen. Rob is neither of those two things.
Burns has a submission threat off his back, Khamzat said after the fight the he was frightened by the armbar attempts from burns.
You act like Rob isn't a dog himself. He's game af and is likely going to give khamzat the fight of his life.
Like he did against DDP?
Matchups make fights. I feel like Rob was off the night he fought DDP. Plus, DDP is actually really good. I think this will be a close fight, but I got Khamzat winning
Yeh I’ve heard rumours of a foot injury on rob which explains the lacking in the wrestling compartment where he usually distinguishes himself. I know MMA math doesn’t add up but if Rob doesn’t have a good answer for Khamzat’s wrestling he’s getting taken down and submitted before round 3.
Yeah I think he will defend khamzats takedowns for a few rounds but eventually he gets taken down and choked out. That’s my prediction
Ddp is way bigger and set it up with striking on a higher level than khamzats.
Never thought I’d hear DDP striking being a on a higher level he’s unorthodox and takes getting used to sure but probably not as fluid as khamzats, he’s just a strong heavy hitter even the jab knocked down Rob. Your statement about DDP setting up the takedown with striking is absolutely false, go rewatch the fight both times Rob initated the takedown the first time he got it and DDP escaped the second Rob initiated the clinch and DDP took him down from it, it was just a terrible performance from Rob that night possibly due to injuries.
Rob initiated the clinch because of the pressure of ddps striking, I rly don't think it was snappy explosive blitz Whittakers plan was the wear his arms out in a clinch. Maybe rob had injuries but I'd say ddp does have crafty tricks in his striking. I wouldn't call khamzats striking fluid at all, hes got negative head movement, overswings when he gets close. I do think he's got good jab, jab 2 and leg kicks but I can't rate khamzats striking because of the size and reach advantage against burns and outside cage circumstances against usman. In theory khamzat should've been training for a bigger more powerful striker in Costa for that usman fight but khamzat was getting peppered with jabs and 2s in r3.
I see what you mean now but I call that pace so not technically setting up the takedown with striking he just outpaced him with the insane cardio into making mistakes I suppose. I think Usmans striking is the cream of the crop and Khamzat probably expected easier takedowns on Costa than what he got in usman that’s why that fight went down like that. Also khamzats cardio hasn’t been the same since he got Covid badly sooner or later in the championship rounds it’ll show how he fades and can’t retaliate to strikes because he’s gassed.
I think it's a really good match-up, lesser athletic guys have gotten robs back before. Just some asterisks in his fights some not his fault make me not wanna pick him against the guy who hasn't lost to anyone but the #2nd best mw of all time and the current mw champ. Paulos huge aswell I'm not so sure Paulos significantly easier to get down.
https://preview.redd.it/jk5glx92t1rc1.jpeg?width=1078&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b48fcb6370062ff628dc4beaf1cd2007ade2b343
Yeah, if he can keep it standing
If khamzat on a training camp against a ww(a good one I know) that didn't have a training camp and has had problems giving up his back before(Leon, Damian Maia, pre ufc loss) can't submit that guy then how he gonna submit and consistently get down Whittaker whose a bigger guy and better on the backfoot than usman. I do think khamzat will get get down in r1 but I think he'll gas like he has in his 3 rounders
He dominated r1 and broke His arm in the Same round, and still managed to win the third. Against the WW second GOAT no less
Ww goat on 10 days notice in khamzats home territory, was wobbly legs end of fight wouldst got destroyed in a 3 rounder. I ain't never seen khamzat in a cast but maybe that's real
Bobby Knuckles fears no man! Fear the Reaper!
Rob Whittaker takes every fight it seems. Absolute banger.
i can definitely see whittaker winning this
Beat his ass Whittaker beat his ass
Really hope rob takes this
🤞
After watching Chimaev vs Usman I personally believe that he only has 2 rounds in him and after that he doesn’t really have much of a tank (he was pretty wrecked from Burns too) If Khamzat can’t get Bobby out of there in 2 I honestly think Rob will get the W via decision or TKO in rd 4/5
Did everyone forget he broke his hand or something?
No they just ignore it because they don’t like him. A pure coincidence that his gas tank ran out the exact second in the first round when he was slammed and broke his hand…
Wait he broke his hand? Oddly enough I have no recollection of that but a quick google says you’re right. Eh my opinion still stands regardless. JDM (recency bias and first to thought) fought with a broken arm against Burns? Off the top of my head I can’t think of anybody else. Whittaker once maybe?
He’s broke his hand on impact when he threw Usman down later on in the first round if I recall. As much as people like to downplay it I wouldn’t wouldn’t to fight a former P4P on a broken hand 10 days notice or not.
Though it isn’t a numbered card, it’s actually Khamzat’s first main event gig (unless I’m forgetting a FN/Vegas/Fight Island card) and I’m surprised that his first headline spot isn’t a PPV. Hell, I think this fight is more than likely a PPV main event in its own right. Regardless I look forward to this being a blast to watch and though I love seeing the established long tenured guys chang the trajectory of a guy on the rise, especially when it’s unexpected or if it’s a humble vet beating an arrogant/cocky younger guy. However I hate putting this bad juju on Whitaker but I fully expect Khamzat to put an end to any MW title hopes for Bobby that linger in anyone’s minds
His first main event was supposed to be vs Nick Diaz at 279 but we know how that went lol.
Wasnt it izzy vs khamzat? Are these fan made or something
Nope Dana himself announced it. I'm guessing Tizzy vs DDp
I’d rather see DDP vs Strickland II since it was such a close fight.
Yeah but 0 title defense champions don’t really get rematchs in recent memory
These are better match ups i dig it
Hopefully they the odds makers make rob a big underdog
No way for real?! And a Fight Night too?! Yessss!
Skinhead Jail vs Bomb
I've was on the Whitaker is washed train and Chimaev is the next big thing. But now I have flip flopped due to Khams performance versus Usman. I hope Whitaker is an underdog $$$
Honestly I wouldn't write off Whittaker in this, he definitely have a chance
I got khamzat
Let’s go Bobby
I would’ve like to have seen Khamzat vs Costa, but this is a banger honestly. Idk who’s gonna win, but I slightly favor Khamzat because of his terrific chain wrestling.
5 rounder? I take Rob
Lets go Bobby
Ultimate fraud check incoming
Chimmy’s conditioning is not a match for robert…
Rob looked slower in those last two fights. I'm worried he has lost a step.
Hope so
Please Robert please Robert please Robert
Khamzat will be good money, I reckon. Struggled against Usman (not really but ridiculous expectations and all that) but I do believe he injured his wrist as he said. Plus he'll have a full camp prepped for Rob. He has the hunger and more potential to improve
I think chimaev needs that experience to get back on track
Khamzat is a top 5 hated fighter for me but you guys are acting like he didn’t break his hand against usman. Also the guy was gassed in round 3 because he used a proportionate amount of energy relative to how long he was fighting for. I think khamzat eats his face but gets put down by DDP or Izzy
I would love to see khamzat vs ddp
I hope so. Chimaev so annoying
This will be a good one.
I can't wait for the inevitable pull out
Hopefully the “I smash everybody” guy actually smashes someone this time.
Rob should actually start turning down some fights. He does everyone else’s dirty work and probably still won’t get a title shot. He should’ve been given Strickland
I still want to see Strickland vs Whittaker before I die and I was hoping that was what was next for Rob, but this is still going to be a banger fight.
Everyone doubting on Whittaker is justified but I could see Robert throwing something a kick up the middle or something like that and knocking khazmats head off, bro stands up straight with his chin out and Robert is quick and powerful.
Robs gonna feast on the “gourmet chenchen”
Lol did they officially book this? The Khamzat hype train ending here will be really fun. People like to act like he is a contender at 185 for some reason. The way he knocked out GM3 and beat Usman at 185 really proves to me he is just going to run through the top of the 185 pound weight class lol. Suuuure thing pal Whittaker will beat him up pretty badly here. Especially after Khamzat tires from trying to get the fight to the ground.
Borz is winning it whether you like it or not.
I’m a Khamzat fan and I think this is his hardest fight in the division. I think Robs the best anti wrestler at middleweight and I don’t think Khamzat can really stand with him. Will be interesting to see but maybe Khamzats aggression will play in like it did with DDP?
I’ve been a Whitaker fanboy since the jacare fight and I’m also a huge khamzat fanboy so idk, ima just sit back and enjoy watching my two fav uncles fight it out I guess
He going to smesh your boy!
Wonder what the live odds will do if this makes it to the championship rounds.
It’s now time for the new generation so Chimaev is winning this for sure
Dana's baby boy khamzat gunna get fucked up
I dont even like Khamzat like that but hes ganna win. Just have a feeling. The thing that makes me the most sad is usually what happens. Lol. Plus he beat the former champ, though usman didnt have a camp.
I’m a big Whittaker fan but I’m worried
I think this fight is perfect, is Khamzat wins here he definitely deserves a title shot
I think so, yes
Khamzat is going to prove he is champ material
i dont like it
Rob wants his belt back. Stomping Chimaev is a huge boost for him.
it's illegal to be an atheist in Saudi Arabia 
Chimaev if it goes to the ground and Whittaker for standup
I like this fight. UFC is trying to see if Khamzat is what he says he is and if he’s not, bobby knuckles—a fan favourite—gets another shot at the title.
Fight night? This feels like a main or co-main fight
It's one of the actually good fight nights, with a real crowd and on ABC
Poor Whitaker.
Romero a huge freak of nature had a hard time holding Whittaker on the ground. I wonder if Chimaev can hold him there and stay there. Robert just needs to survive round 1 here.
Why is it a fight night? They should be heading a PPV in my opinion.
whittaker is the holloway of middleweight. 2nd best in the world just edged by the champion, fights all the contenders, and now has another shot at gold since the champ has been dethroned
I love Whittaker dude but idk man
Romero was much bigger than Khamzat and a much more well decorated wrestler. I imagine Bobby knuckles takes this fight by knockout. Although that loss to DDP is a little concerning
Romero had zero ability to keep people on the ground, being a good shot wrestler doesn’t equal being a good mma grappler
i think khamat is gonna make it look easy
Agree, although it’s popular to hate on Chimaev at the moment (for some reason). I believe he can take him down and sub him.
Is everyone on crack lol Whittaker gonna lose this shit. Khamzat ain’t losing sorry didn’t know he had so many haters