Robert Whittaker has weighed in on Khamzat Chimaev’s split decision title loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328, admitting he was surprised by what he saw in Newark.
Chimaev dropped a split decision to Strickland in their title fight earlier this month at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., after entering the bout with high expectations from the former middleweight champion.
“Sean has now done the unthinkable twice and props to him for that,” Whittaker said. “Like I said, gun to my head, I had Chimaev winning it, and Sean proved me wrong. I'm dead now. Respect where it's due.”
Whittaker, who was quickly submitted by Chimaev at UFC 308, felt the version of “Borz” that faced Strickland did not resemble the fighter who beat him, Dricus Du Plessis, or Gilbert Burns. “Because that is not the version of Chimaev that fought me. That's not the version of Chimaev that fought Dricus (Du Plessis). That's not the version of Chimaev that fought Gilbert Burns. I don't know what that is. Maybe it was, but Sean just has that secret something that makes these guys look like that.”
Despite the result, Whittaker hinted he’d be open to sharing the cage with Chimaev again, saying, “Seeing that Khamzat, I'll give it a go again.”
The former middleweight champion is set for his own move up in weight, as he prepares to make his light heavyweight debut against Nikita Krylov at UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
