Russian PFL League Fighter Andrei Koreshkov in a conversation with , he shared his expectations regarding the fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker at the UFC 308 tournament.
Born in the Chechen Republic, Chimaev made his UFC debut in July 2020. The fighter spent seven fights in the promotion, representing Sweden and the United Arab Emirates. At the tournament in Abu Dhabi on October 26, Chimaev will meet former UFC champion Australian Whittaker.
— Khamzat Chimaev performs in categories up to 77 kg and up to 84 kg. He will now fight at one of the best 84kg. Considering that you train with Alexander Shlemenko and Andrey Pulyaev, who weigh the same, is the difference of 7 kg felt?
– There is a difference. In principle, every kilogram or two is essentially felt. It’s just that, on the one hand, you weigh 84 kilograms, perhaps you will have more power, since you will be taller and cooler, because losing weight will not be so difficult. But on the other hand, with more weight, you get tired faster. I judge this for myself, since there are more muscles, they need to be fed with a greater volume.
In general, it must be said that Whittaker has simply had more five-round fights and tougher fights in his career. Khamzat is a strong guy, I won’t deny that. He beat the best in the under 77 kilo category: Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman. But 84 kg is a weight at which Khamzat will have less advantage than over guys weighing 77 kg. It is unlikely that its anthropometry there will surprise anyone. There are a lot of guys out there with similar height, arm span and weight. And Whittaker is a fairly strong, tall middleweight with a lot of experience and good wrestling.
— How do you imagine Khamzat’s victory and Whittaker’s victory?
“I can say about Chimaev that he has a better chance of finishing the fight in the first or second round. With a technical or a knockout, perhaps a finishing blow. But Whittaker has a better chance of winning in the fourth or fifth round. Because, in my opinion, it is more durable. It seems to me that there is no point in denying that even in the last fight against Kamaru Usman, Khamzat struggled in the third round, he lost a little in endurance,” Koreshkov told .
Chimaev has 13 victories in MMA and not a single defeat, the statistics of former UFC champion Whittaker are 26 victories and seven defeats.
All UFC tournaments are broadcast live on and Match! Fighter”. UFC 308 will take place on October 26 in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Watch the live broadcast from 19:15 Moscow time on the channel, as well as from 17:00 on Match! Fighter ” and the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
