Robert Whittaker gained’t stroll into the cage Saturday anticipating Khamzat Chimaev to gasoline out early of their five-round middleweight conflict within the co-main occasion of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.
Chimaev was victorious in all seven of his octagon appearances up to now with 5 dominant finishes, however has clearly slowed down in each fights that went the space, in opposition to Gilbert Burns and a last-minute substitute Kamaru Usman. Whittaker, nonetheless, is 9-1 in fights which have gone the space since transferring as much as middleweight in 2014.
“I’m anticipating him to come back out laborious and aggressive from the primary second to the final, and I’ve ready accordingly for that,” Whittaker mentioned in the course of the UFC 308 media day. “I’ve ready for the toughest combat of my life, to begin extraordinarily laborious, like sprinting for the primary 5 to 10 minutes, but in addition drag it out to 5 minutes. I’m able to dash for 25 minutes if that’s the case. I’m coming in for battle.”
“He’s had such success together with his actually laborious beginning preventing method,” he added. “Regardless whether or not he gassed or not, he nonetheless gained these fights fairly handily, after which it was because of the quantity of dominance he had in these first rounds. I’m anticipating the very best model of himself. I’m anticipating a man that comes out laborious and a man that can final. I’m ready for it. I’ve skilled for it. I’m not going to coach pondering that if I get out of the primary spherical it’s recreation over. I’m getting ready for the very best model he can supply me, an excellent soldier. I’ve executed that.”
The UFC opted to e book Whittaker vs. Chimaev as a five-rounder even with no belt hooked up, and the previous 185-pound champion mentioned he was not the one making the request.
“Why would I do this? 5 rounds is a lot tougher than three rounds,” Whittaker mentioned with fun. “I do know I’ve had plenty of them, however they’re not enjoyable. It type of simply labored out this manner. However I don’t know. I’m within the combat recreation. If you need me to combat for 3 rounds, 5 rounds, 10 rounds, I’m going to coach for it, put together for it, and I’ll flip up.”
Whittaker doesn’t not rule out ending Chimaev early, although, like he’s executed to Ikram Aliskerov, who stepped in as a substitute for the Chechen fighter again in June.
“I look to enter this combat searching, very like I deliberate to final combat,” Whittaker mentioned. “I look to do once more this combat. I’m the hunter on this combat. I’m the predator and I’m gonna be searching for him.”
Whittaker hopes to re-insert himself within the title dialog with a victory Saturday, his third since dropping to future champion Dricus Du Plessis. The UFC is about to return to Australia on February 8, and the New Zealander may very well be a part of the cardboard.
“Because the Dricus loss I had a little bit of a get up name,” Whittaker mentioned. “I made some adjustments. Inside, exterior the fitness center. We simply sat down and we ripped in. We labored laborious, we labored tougher than ever, and you may see the outcomes of that work present itself in each combat this 12 months. Each combat I’ve gotten higher. I’ve began to again myself extra, the boldness I take within the victories that I’ve had. I’m coming into this combat, all cylinders firing.”
