On October 26, UFC 308 will take center stage in Abu Dhabi, UAE, featuring a highly anticipated middleweight bout between Russia’s Khamzat Chimaev, fighting under the UAE banner, and former champion Robert Whittaker of Australia. Here’s an expert analysis and prediction from Sportsmacro.
Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker began his martial arts journey at seven, achieving black belts in Gojyu-Ryu, Hapkido, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His professional MMA debut in 2009 saw him rise quickly as he captured the SFA welterweight championship and won *The Ultimate Fighter* at welterweight in 2012. Since moving to middleweight in 2014, Whittaker has claimed the interim title in 2017, later becoming the undisputed champion. However, his reign ended in 2019 when he lost to Israel Adesanya, followed by a rematch loss in 2022. Despite a knockout loss to Dricus du Plessis in a title eliminator, Whittaker recently reasserted his place among top contenders with a first-round knockout of Ikram Aliskerov in June.
Khamzat Chimaev
Originally from Chechnya, Khamzat Chimaev moved to Sweden at 18, having started wrestling at five and eventually becoming a multiple-time Swedish freestyle wrestling champion. Since his professional MMA debut in 2018, Chimaev has shown his versatility in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. Entering the UFC in 2020, he has remained unbeaten across seven fights. His last match in October ended with a unanimous decision victory over Kamaru Usman. After battling severe COVID-19 complications in 2020, Chimaev briefly announced his retirement, but his return has solidified his reputation as a dominant force in the octagon.
Fight Prediction
Chimaev’s game plan often revolves around takedowns and superior grappling, which could challenge Whittaker. Whittaker may counter this by using footwork and counterattacks to evade Chimaev’s wrestling. Expecting a competitive match, we predict Chimaev will secure victory, with the bout likely extending at least into the second round.
