Joe Rogan Warns Khamzat Chimaev Of ‘Beefy’ Ex-UFC Champ Robert Whittaker: ‘That’s A Real Fight’

Khamzat Chimaev is gearing up for his toughest test as he continues climbing towards the highest of the middleweight division.

On Saturday, June 22, ‘Borz’ will return to the Octagon as a part of a loaded UFC Saudi Arabia card from Kingdom Enviornment in Riyadh. Headlining the historic night of fights shall be a 185-pound conflict between undefeated Chechen monster Khamzat Chimaev and former middleweight titleholder Robert Whittaker, the winner doubtless nudging themselves into place for a shot on the division’s high prize.

“Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia, that one is gonna be f*cking wild,” longtime UFC coloration commentator Joe Rogan mentioned on his popular podcast. “That’s a wild one. That may be a wild combat. Whittaker vs. Khamzat is legit. That’s an actual combat, that’s an actual combat for Khamzat as a result of Whittaker is an enormous dude. Strong, beefy 185 [pounds], former champion. Each guys began at 170 however it was too arduous to make it to 170” (h/t MMA Mania).

Whereas ‘The Reaper’ has fortunately referred to as the middleweight division residence for the final decade, Chimaev was basically compelled to make the transfer from 170 to 185 after a massive mishap on the scale forward of his scheduled scrap with Nate Diaz at UFC 279.

Khamzat Chimaev’s Solely Middleweight Win Since 2020 got here in opposition to a short-notice Kamaru Usman

Since then, Chimaev has solely clocked one win within the weight class, besting former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman who moved up on short notice to face ‘Borz’ at UFC 294 in October. Chimaev gained the combat through a majority choice.

“That’s an actual 185’er versus [when] they gave [Chimaev] Kamaru Usman, and Kamaru didn’t have an opportunity to arrange for that [fight],” Rogan continued. “He had 10 days. That’s not sufficient time. This can be a massive one. That is Robert Whittaker with loads of time to arrange. A man who’s simply as legit as they get. He simply beat Paulo Costa. That’s a superb combat. I like that.”

Whittaker is coming off a big win over the returning Paul Costa at UFC 298 in February. Winner of two of his final three, ‘The Reaper’ is 16-5 contained in the Octagon and at the moment sits within the No. 3 spot within the middleweight rankings — eight slots forward of Khamzat Chimaev.