Robert Whittaker shares benefits of training with Jai Opetaia: "Better boxing skills than everybody in my division"

Robert Whittaker (left) sparred with Jai Opetaia (right). [Image credit: @robwhittakermma on Instagram]

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has been training with Australian IBF and The Ring cruiserweight champion, Jai Opetaia. 'The Reaper' has been sharpening his hands with the undefeated fellow Aussie at the Doyle Boxing Club in South Sydney.

Speaking to Sporting News Australia, Whittaker, who faces Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 next month, described what it's like to train with Opetaia. He said:

“He [Opetaia] is one of the best in the world, easily. I’m privileged to be able to spar him just because of how much I can gain out of it. No one in my division in the UFC has better pure boxing striking than he does. To be able to work with him, I can see things that he’s taking advantage of, he exposes all my weaknesses and I get to sharpen and hone my reflexes and eyes and timing."

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You can read the full interview with Sporting News Australia here.

Jai Opetaia on Robert Whittaker: "He's a crafty dude in that ring"

Both Robert Whittaker and Jai Opetaia will be traveling to the Middle East next month for their fights. Whittaker will be in Abu Dhabi to face Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event of UFC 308. As for Opetaia, he is set to defend his IBF cruiserweight title against Jack Massey in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Opetaia described what it's like to spar with the former UFC middleweight king (via Sporting News Australia):

“He [Whittaker] is a crafty dude in that ring. It’s always good to mix it us. We’re world class in that ring, when you’re doing boxing sparring with us, you’ve got to rise, you’ve got to be on your game. I feel like it can help him with his confidence too. If he can mix it up in there and move in the ring with us, his standup must be alright, which it is."

He continued:

“Obviously, he’s got to watch out for a lot more than just punches [in MMA], he adapts well, he’s comfortable in the ring, he holds himself well, in and outside of the ring. I’ve got a lot of respect for Rob."

Robert Whittaker faces Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event of UFC 308 on Oct. 26. The main event of the card will be a UFC featherweight championship bout between divisional titleholder Ilia Topuria and UFC BMF champion, Max Holloway.

About the author

Duane is an expert MMA writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience working for the likes of Philippine Star, Esquire Philippines, Playboy Philippines, etc. A major in English, he has written over 2000 articles for Sportskeeda section, extensively covering UFC and boxing fights.

Duane is a practicing MMA fighter with a 11-7 record. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt and trains Muay Thai. His connection with MMA dates back to 2005, when he turned into a fan after watching Fedor Emelianenko defeat Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic at Pride FC - Final Conflict 2005.

Emelianenko finds himself right at the top of Duane’s Mt. Rushmore of MMA fighters, alongside other big names like Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.

Duane’s love for the sport is reflected in his writings, where he believes in speculating but not insinuating. He uses his intensive knowledge and skills in MMA to provide unique insights to the readers, along with sourcing information only from reliable sources.

Outside of work, Duane enjoys martial arts training, visual arts, film criticism, video games, and creative writing.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi