Prediction for the fight Khamzat Chimaev vs Robert Whittaker

After a series of crises, long expectations and even decisions to end his career, UFC rated middleweight Khamzat Chimaev is entering a contender's fight. In the main event of UFC on ABC 6, June 23 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he will fight with former champion of the organization, Robert Whittaker. This evening at the Kingdom Arena will be a test for both, and it’s time to find out which of them has the best chance of triumph on the appointed date?

• Khamzat Chimaev vs Robert Whittaker;
• Khamzat Chimaev;
• Robert Whittaker;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Khamzat Chimaev vs Robert Whittaker

Khamzat Chimaev

After the last fight, Khamzat staked out a place on the edge of the Top 10, but thanks to his name, he received such a big fight. “Borz” has reached the level of a brown belt in BJJ, which is another task for his strict coach, in the past he was extremely successful on the wrestling mat, winning the Swedish championship, and now he has several bonuses from the UFC management, and this with an impeccable record 13-0.

Strengths

The level of pressure, quality of takedowns and subsequent attacks on the ground that Chimaev offers, few have been able to stop. Khamzat constantly strikes, improves his position by tying up his opponent's limbs, and then, after torturing him with ground and pound, goes for the submission. At the same time, the fighter has a knockout blow, even if he does not strive to stay in the stance. The highest pace from the first seconds and the chaos that it brings with it disarms many.

Weaknesses

Chimaev's big problem is cardio, which quickly fades by the 3rd round due to his sprinting. And when fatigue sets in, he no longer has the former quality of control and fight - hence the need to work in a standing position. But in his hands, Khamzat is a little crooked, he lacks action algorithms, and his defense is lame. Pressure is the key to victory and the enemy for Borz at the same time.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Chimaev is 30 years old, he has no setbacks in his career, and the athlete has amassed a 7-0 record in the UFC. The most recent victories were over Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland and Kamaru Usman. Meeting with the tops, he exposed many of his shortcomings, and now he will enter the fight after seven months of rest, after a minor injury, and will have to show everything he is capable of, since he has every chance to go the distance of 5 rounds for the first time. Khamzat is unlikely to demonstrate anything conceptually new in the game plan, but even in this case, there should be no doubt about his readiness to win.

Robert Whittaker

The Australian is number 3 in the rankings and a former middle division champion. In contrast to his opponent, Rob has a black belt in BJJ, and complements the set with the same belt in hapkido and karate. Also, “The Reaper” took first place in the national wrestling championship and cup, won The Ultimate Fighter show, and took bonuses with him 8 times when leaving the octagon.

Strengths

Whittaker always offered his opponents a ragged pace, constant stop kicks to the hip, sharp cuts and breaks in the distance, accompanied by deuces or an overhand. Also, the former champion is great with his legs on the upper floors, and most importantly, he maintains approximately the same pace in all rounds, without experiencing global problems with cardio. This is a kind of pacemaker that can knock out an opponent and score a knockout if there is an urgent need for it.

Weaknesses

Robert unacceptably often began to find himself in situations where he had to survive. Knockdowns and groggy condition accompany him in almost every fight, and the Australian’s jaw copes with damage worse and worse. Regarding the ground, there is not much to say here - the guy is more good at defending against takedowns than at taking them and developing success on the ground.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Whittaker is 33 years old, he finished his last five fights with two defeats (from Adesanya and Du Plessis) and three victories (Vettori, Gastelum and Costa). In recent years, Robert has shown excellent form, he is fast, accurate and perfectly implements his battle plan. It’s just that he has serious problems with his “hold,” and this factor prevents him from showing dominant performances, which they are right up to the moment of precise hits by his opponents. “The Reaper” is in optimal condition and has a wealth of experience behind him, but his jaw will always force us to doubt his success.

Comparative analysis

Chimaev is taller and longer in the arms compared to Whittaker, but in the stand-up, this is unlikely to help him in any way. In fact, this fight is extremely interesting in terms of a combination of styles, since in the vertical, Khamzat has practically no chance of interrupting his opponent, and Robert, even with a black belt in BJJ and victories at the regional level in wrestling, is unlikely to cope with the ground game of “Borza” .

The picture of the fight emerges as follows: a lot of movement around the octagon from Rob, constant pursuit of Khamzat, which allows the ex-champion to use his counter-punching talent without personal initiative and earn points (2.98). However, in the end, in any case, they will end up near the net and on the ground, where for the next round and a half, Chimaev can mock his colleague as he wants. Is submission realistic here in round 1 or 2?

Taking into account the quality of Whittaker’s defense, it’s unlikely, and then Khamzat will have to look for resources to cope with the speeds of the “Reaper” and not end up in the situation that happened to him in the fight with Burns. The battle has every chance of getting closer to the equator and exceeding TB (2.5) in rounds, where everything will depend on whether Rob will make a mistake, finding himself in another knockdown and, as a result, a capture, and whether Chimaev will be able to correctly distribute his forces so as not to completely turn sour closer to the 4th segment.

Khamzat Chimaev vs Robert Whittaker Prediction

The duel is extremely intriguing and unpredictable, and the fact that Khamzat is a big favorite does not give us the opportunity to rely on his victory without looking back. It is precisely the factor of Robert’s endurance and amazing footwork that makes one doubt whether Chimaev can be as effective as in the first round, say, in the third five-minute round? Therefore, it is more profitable to consider betting on the total rounds, especially since the odds here are much more interesting than on the favorite. It’s worth starting with a more reliable option - Total over (1.5) for 1.79, and after that, raising the bar a little, look at Total over (2.5). Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction:Total over (1.5) in rounds completed/ Total over (2.5)