Robert Whittaker sees UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev’s grappling being too much for anyone at middleweight.
Nassourdine Imavov (17-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) called for a title shot after outstriking Caio Borralho in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 258 headliner at Accor Arena in Paris.
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Whittaker credited Imavov for putting on a striking clinic against Borralho (17-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC), but doesn’t love his chances against Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC).
“I don’t know how anyone beats Khamzat at the moment,” Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast. “His wrestling is so high-level. I feel like the way to beat him is with high-level jiu-jitsu. If Imavov has high-level back jiu-jitsu – which I know he does have high-level jiu-jitsu – but if it’s that high-level, like Gilbert Burns high-level, then maybe we’ll see something. But also, fights are funny. Anything can happen. Maybe Chimaev dives into a knee or foot.”
With Reinier de Ridder scheduled to face Anthony Hernandez in the UFC Fight Night 262 main event Oct. 18 in Vancouver, Whittaker doesn’t think Imavov is a lock for the next title shot.
“I don’t think that fight cemented that fight (against Chimaev) for him,” Whittaker said of Imavov. “I think it definitely put him in the running, but that’s what it is. It’s a running now. I think RDR and ‘Fluffy’ are going to punch on, and if they do something exceptional, they will jump the queue, I think.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Robert Whittaker on Nassourdine Imavov’s chances vs. Khamzat Chimaev