Robert Whittaker, the former UFC middleweight champion, is gearing up for his shot at redemption.
Recently announced as the main event for the UFC’s debut in Saudi Arabia, Whittaker is set to face off against Khamzat Chimaev in what he describes as a title eliminator bout.
In a recent interview on the MMArcade podcast, Whittaker expressed his eagerness for the challenge ahead.
“It’s going to be a contender fight, five-round main event,” he said. “I do understand the task at hand. It’s going to be hard. I’m going to be grinding my ass off this camp.”
Having lost the middleweight title to Israel Adesanya in 2019 and falling short in their rematch in 2022, Whittaker bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 298, putting himself back in the title conversation.
Surprised by the sudden opportunity, Whittaker expressed his gratitude for the chance to earn his shot at the belt once again.
“This is my path to the title. This is the way I earn money for my kids,”
Whittaker said.
“What else am I going to be doing?”
His opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, has been making waves in the UFC with an impressive run of victories, including a recent majority decision win over Kamaru Usman.
Recognizing Chimaev’s skills, Whittaker is prepared for a tough fight but remains confident in his abilities.
“I understand he’s a hard fighter,” Whittaker acknowledged. “But honestly, he likes to play the villain against his opponents, but he’s an honorable fighter. We’re both going to leave it in there. He’s not a quitter, I’m not a quitter.”
Excited to be part of history as the UFC makes its debut in Saudi Arabia, Whittaker is focused on making a statement in the octagon.
“I’m looking forward to really making history in Saudi Arabia,”
he said.
UFC Saudi Arabia is scheduled to take place on June 22 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. As Whittaker prepares to reclaim the middleweight title, all eyes will be on this highly anticipated showdown in the desert.