Robert Whittaker: Why Khamzat Chimaev will steamroll Sean Strickland at UFC 328

Robert Whittaker believes the UFC 328 headliner will be a one-sided fight.

Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) is scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland (30-7) in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Chimaev is a massive -590 favorite going into the fight against Strickland, a +390 underdog.

However, Strickland’s trash talk and confidence almost make one doubt the odds. Many fans and pundits are also not counting Strickland out due to his elite defensive wrestling.

Chimaev’s former foe, Whittaker, admits that Strickland’s trash talk almost convinces him that the American can pull off an upset. However, having shared the Octagon with Chimaev, Whittaker does not doubt that “Borz” will take Strickland down. While there used to be concerns about Chimaev’s gas tank, Whittaker notes that the undefeated champion diminished those claims in his dominant, unanimous decision title win over Dricus Du Plessis. Whittaker predicts that Chimaev will run through Strickland.

“[Strickland] talks big game. He almost convinces me that he can do it. But being in there with Chimaev, having seen what Chimaev can do once he gets his hands on you, and he will, cause he shoots from so far away, and he commits wholeheartedly, he will get you to the mat,” Whittaker told UFC on Paramount. “It’s what happens after. Seeing that he has the cardio to do that for five rounds as well. Gun to my head? Chimaev is going to run him over.”

Chimaev finished Whittaker (26-9) with a face crank, also leaving “Bobby Knuckles” with a broken jaw at UFC 308 in 2024. Whittaker has since suffered a controversial spilt decision loss against Reinier de Ridder.