LET’S HUNT!
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Hunting season is in full bloom for “The Reaper.”
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, welcomes back Khamzat Chimaev from a year-long layoff in UFC 308’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event this weekend (Sat., Oct. 26, 2024) from inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Whittaker and Chimaev were supposed to clash earlier this year at UFC Saudi Arabia; however, “Borz” pulled out a week before the fight and Whittaker went on to knockout Ikrim Aliskerov (watch highlights).
Now that the fight has been rebooked and the pair of talented Middleweight contenders will battle this weekend (knock on wood), Whittaker is in hunter mode.
“I look to go into this fight hunting him, much like I planned to last fight,” Whittaker told reporters during UFC 308 media day (watch here). “I look to do it again this fight. I’m the hunter in this fight. I’m the predator, and I’m going to be looking for him.”
While Whittaker is supremely confident about the pivotal 185-pound showdown, he recognizes Chimaev’s skill even though “Borz” has shown a tendency to gas in the later rounds.
“Okay, regardless of whether he gassed or not, he still won those fights pretty handily,” Whittaker said. “I’m expecting the best version of himself. I’m expecting a guy that comes out hard and a guy that will last — I’ve prepared for it.
“I’ve trained for it because I’m not going to train thinking that if I get out of the first round it’s game over,” Whittaker continued. “I’m preparing for the best version he can offer me — a super soldier. And, yeah, I’ve done that ... it’s my duty to be there on Saturday night, to turn up and to fight to the best of my ability for 25 minutes, I am not leaving this country without doing that.”
With a win at UFC 308, there is a very good chance Whittaker will fight for the Middleweight title in his next outing, but even so, that isn’t on his mind.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Whittaker said. “I’ve never really let things that I can’t control affect how I feel or, you know, what I’m doing. I’m here to fight. This is what I get paid to do. This is how I put bread on the table for my family. You know, this is my duty to my family. So, here I am.”
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 308 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 2 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 308: “Topuria vs. Holloway” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
