One of the biggest title fights of the year is set to take place at UFC 319 next month.
Dricus du Plessis may have incorrectly named a huge co-main event for the card but with or without any additional matchups, August 16 is simply unmissable.
Khamzat Chimaev looks set to finally compete in his first UFC title fight when he challenges ‘Stillknocks’ for the middleweight belt in Chicago, Illinois.
A lot of fighters and fans are split on the outcome of the main event with some predicting that du Plessis will end his challenger’s undefeated run.
A former UFC champion who has shared the Octagon with both men recently gave his prediction for what will decide the upcoming middleweight title fight.
Robert Whittaker outlines what the crucial factor will be in Dricus du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
Robert Whittaker’s last two defeats came to Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev as ‘The Reaper’ suffered some setbacks when attempting to reclaim the UFC middleweight title.
Both his TKO loss to the South African at UFC 290 and the mauling he received from ‘Borz’ at UFC 308 cemented the fact that both men would go on to challenge for the 185-pound belt in their next fights.
In a recent interview on Fox Sports Australia’s Main Event, Whittaker gave his thoughts on the UFC 319 matchup and revealed what he believes the deciding factor will be.
The former champion is confident that Chimaev will secure a takedown on his opponent, just like he did at UFC 308 before he submitted Whittaker in the first round.
However, ‘The Reaper’ believes that if the challenger isn’t able to put the champion away before du Plessis gets back to his feet, we’ll be hearing ‘and still’ on August 16.
“Honestly, I’d have to say Dricus would be a favorite. He probably is a favorite but I think I’m leaning towards Dricus. The question, the whole thing can be summed up. Chimaev will take him down, it’s will he finish him before he gets back up?
“That’s the million dollar question because if he doesn’t, if he doesn’t finish him on the ground, I think he loses.”
Robert Whittaker outlines four-fight plan for the end of his incredible career
In the same interview, Robert Whittaker was asked about his pursuit of Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev as ‘The Reaper’ looks to avenge his losses.
The former UFC champion went on to reveal that he hopes to have four more fights inside the Octagon before retiring, which he believes will put him back into the title picture.
“Four fights. I see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Whittaker revealed. “I see—yeah—four. I want four more. That’s me. I see the stepping stones needed to do what I want to do.
“Four fights gets me into that title shot, gets me into a position to, you know, finish on top—to have that fairytale ending.”
Before Whittaker can look to target the top names in the division, he will need to get past rising contender Reinier de Ridder when they meet in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26.