Whittaker Catches Chimaev Amid Tumultuous Moment

By
Gabriel Gonzalez
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Khamzat Chimaev, UFC 279
Khamzat Chimaev, UFC 279 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press

UFC middleweight Khamzat Chimev returns amidst questions against a surging Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi at UFC 308.

If Saturday night is proof of anything, it is that any title hopes by a contender are never over until they’re over.  A longtime former champion, Max Holloway, is in the main event with a chance to regain the title after he lost to the same man three times with the belt on the line and it seemed his chances could be over.  For co-headliner Robert Whittaker, Saturday is arguably is tailor made for him to return to the summit as he catches a foe at seemingly an excellent time.

“The Reaper” found himself in the unfortunate no man’s land in 2022, with two losses to then champion Israel Adesanya that seemed to lock him out of the title picture despite his elite status.  When he stumbled again to now champion Dricus Du Plessis last year, it felt like a precarious moment as he was on the down swing while several other contenders were surging forward.  But things can happen quickly in the Octagon, and Whittaker turned in a gritty performance to overcome popular contender Paulo Costa and held serve in violent fashion in June when he stopped late replacement Ikram Aliskerov.  At a time when the current champion has already run the table against the obvious contenders, a third victory in a row for Whittaker would put him in a great position to challenge for the belt again in 2024.

In Whittaker’s favor, this feels like a turning point for the hugely popular Khamzat Chimaev.  Everyone remembers his breakout year in 2020 when it seemed as if he couldn’t be kept out of the cage and was unstoppable in two weight classes.  But various factors have frozen the once hot-streak of “Borz” in recent years.  Illnesses pulled him from high profile fights with now welterweight champion Leon Edwards and his first booking against Whittaker this past June.  His health complications in 2022 also led to the unprecedented turn of events that saw him unable to make weight for a fight with superstar Nate Diaz and subsequently shook up three bouts on a pay-per-view.  All of this has led to great observation on whether or not he can return consistently to the cage at the same level as before.

Chimaev remains a hugely popular personality, but like any athlete, inactivity can inevitably lead to the league and the fan base moving on.  Today, there are several surging middleweight contenders all vying for a title shot at a time when he has not been in the cage in twelve months.  For a fighter who once seemed on his way to challenging for belts in two weight classes quickly, it is easy to imagine the discouragement he must feel.  But he has been given the perfect stage in Abu Dhabi to regain control of the story.  As a marquee attraction with five rounds to work with in the co-main event against a proven former champion, Chimaev can make himself the one to beat at middleweight again should he deliver the kind of exciting victory that made him a star in the first place.

While UFC CEO Dana White has already committed to former champion Sean Strickland being next for middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, this Saturday’s winner could become the monster waiting in the wings with an electrifying performance.  Both men would be a fresh matchup for Strickland or the possibility of a surging Whittaker seeking to exact revenge on Du Plessis could make for an easy sell at a time when the middleweight division is enjoying it’s best period in several years.

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