As UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi draws nearer, fans are speculating about the chances of Khamzat Chimaev pulling out of his scheduled fight against Robert Whittaker on October 27th. This concern isn’t baseless, as ‘Borz’ has earned a reputation as the ‘King of Pullouts‘ due to his history of withdrawing from major fights. One of the most notable instances was his last scheduled bout with Whittaker on the Saudi Arabia card back in July. On that occasion, Chimaev fell ill, reportedly due to excessive training, and a weakened immune system.
However, ‘Borz’ focused on leaving the past behind and fully preparing for his upcoming challenge against Whittaker, determined to make his mark in Abu Dhabi. This fight is crucial for the Russian Native to prove himself to the promotion and silence his critics. Adding to the excitement, Robert Whittaker recently shared some exciting news about his upcoming fight during an interview on the MMArcade podcast, sure to bring a smile to MMA fans. The news was also posted on Instagram by the MMA-oriented page Freak MMA, with the caption, “Robert Whittaker revealed that his co main event fight at UFC 308 against Khamzat Chimaev will be a 5 rounder fight,” which is exactly what fans have been hoping from UFC head honcho.
Even with this big surprise from the UFC and Dana White, fans didn’t seem overly thrilled, as their minds were absorbed by the possibility of Khamzat Chimaev falling ill or pulling out of the fight again, a habit that seems to be forming. This sentiment was also echoed in the comments section of Freak.MMA’s post, didn’t reflect much joy towards ‘Borz’ if he took a look.
A fan in the comments targeted Khamzat Chimaev’s cardio habits, commenting, “What’s khamzat gonna do in the other 4 rounds when he dumps all his cardio tryna get a finish In the first?” This concern is not baseless, as it has been recently confirmed by Chimaev’s former training partner and friend Caio Borralho, who highlighted ‘Borz’ reckless and rigorous training habits, which have made his own health enemy. This sentiment was also echoed by another fan, who seemed certain the fight wouldn’t happen, commenting, “Fight will not happen. Chimaev will be out the day before the fight.”
There are some fans already convinced that the Russian Native won’t win the five-round showdown against Robert Whittaker. One fan raised this concern, commenting, “Rob win over 5 khamzat will gas,” while another fan who had previously expressed concern about ‘Borz’ illness, added, “khamzat’s dying.” This comment isn’t entirely misplaced; back in 2020, Chimaev’s career almost came to a halt when he contracted COVID-19 before his fight with Sean Strickland, which temporarily sidelined him.
Additionally, a fan analyzed the situation and offered their opinion:” This favours Rob massively.” This view isn’t merit, as renowned health analyst Sven Koch had previously warned about the risk of over-training, explaining the delicate balance between over-training and over-reaching. On the other hand, one of ‘Borz’ fans is not shifting support, favoring Robert Whittaker to win at UFC 308. This change in sentiment is evident in a comment that reads, “I’m a khamzat fan but I think Robert will beat him up. Tough is an understatement for Aussies.”
What are your thoughts on the upcoming UFC 308 co-main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker? Do you also think Whittaker will dominate ‘Dying’ Chimaev in the octagon when they finally meet on October 26? Drop your opinion below.
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