Robert Whittaker explains what makes Khamzat Chimaev the "most dangerous" wrestler among all his rivals

Speaking candidly about Khamzat Chimaev's wrestling abilities, Robert Whittaker recently asserted that Chimaev is the most dangerous wrestler among his former opponents. In October, UFC 308 will feature a middleweight showdown between the two at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The pair were originally slated to square off in the UFC's first-ever event in Saudi Arabia on June 22 in what could have been a middleweight title eliminator. However, Chimaev pulled himself out of the bout due to a health issue. Russian fighter Ikram Aliskerov stepped in on short notice and faced Whittaker, losing the bout via first-round knockout.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, when questioned about Chimaev's wrestling prowess and if he was the toughest opponent Whittaker had ever faced, the former middleweight champion responded:

''I definitely think he's [Chimaev] the most dangerous because he's the one in front of untested like, he's the unknown right, but he's obviously very good, he took Usman down quite handily and controlled him on the ground so, and Usman's got very high level wrestling as well so it makes sense that he's very good at what he does but like I said I've wrestled with the best of them and it's a fight at the end of the night.''

Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below (3:57):

In response to Chimaev's persistent health problems over the past few years, some fans have expressed displeasure with 'Borz' getting a second chance at fighting Whittaker.

During an appearance on the MMArcade podcast, Whittaker explained his position on the matter and provided an explanation for his acceptance of the fight.

''Chimaev is a hard fight. He is obviously a big draw, especially over there in Abu Dhabi. I think story-wise, the UFC wants to see Chimaev get a shot at champion. But I love disrupting their plans, I love derailing their stories. That's why I took the fight." [3:14]

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Robert Whittaker is targeting a title opportunity with a potential win against Khamzat Chimaev

Last month, Dana White announced Sean Strickland as the next middleweight title contender. However, the UFC CEO may be awaiting the outcome of the Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight before making a final decision on who would face reigning champion Dricus du Plessis.

In the aforementioned interview with Submission Radio, Whittaker was asked about the middleweight title shot scenario. The former champion answered:

"I beat Chimaev, I'm fighting for the belt next. That's it. There's no doubt in my mind about that." [7:59]