\u201cIt depends,\u201d Whittaker said. \u201cI think the game is still trying to work out the puzzle that is that Russian, Chechnyan sort of wrestling style. I think I have an answer in my head, not that I can do it, but I think the guys that will start giving some trouble to those guys are the really high-level, like back sort of jiu-jitsu guys. But in saying that, we haven\u2019t seen it yet. Much like Gilbert Burns and Chimaev, Chimaev wasn\u2019t able to just hold him down because of Burns, how dangerous his offensive grappling is, so having guys that can work off their back really well and not get stuck while they\u2019re there.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I don\u2019t think the game has worked out the puzzle that is that and we\u2019re kind of seeing\u2014But then we say that and then, like Merab [Dvalishvili] before he lost to Petr [Yan], it\u2019s the exact same question. How do you beat Merab? How do you stop that gas tank? And Petr did it to the highest extend. He ticked all the boxes and just went in there and did it. So I guess we\u2019re kind of just waiting for the shoe to fall. We want to see if Strickland has what it takes. He talks a big game, he almost convinces me that he can do it, but having been in there with Chimaev and having seen what Chimaev can do once he gets his hands on you, and he will because he shoots from so far away and he commits wholeheartedly, he will get you to the mat. It\u2019s what happens after. We\u2019ve seen that he has the cardio to be able to do that for five rounds as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cGun to my head, Chimaev\u2019s going to run him over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though Strickland is the clear underdog heading into UFC 328, the former middleweight champion has made a habit of playing the spoiler. He earned his UFC title with a shocking upset of Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 and recently knocked out Anthony Hernandez to snap Hernandez\u2019s eight-fight win streak.<\/p>\n
When Whittaker talks about Chimaev\u2019s greatness, he does so from experience, having previously had his jaw dislocated by Chimaev at UFC 308. He doubts there\u2019s anything a fighter can do in camp to prepare for the real thing when it\u2019s time to step into the cage with Chimaev.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing is you can prepare and expect for things as much as you want, but all the preparation we did and stuff, it didn\u2019t\u2014He was just better than the preparation,\u201d Whittaker said. \u201cHis ability to stick to you, to control the positions, to adjust and move into another position once he\u2019s got his hands on you was just next level. We also saw that with the Dricus [du Plessis] fight. Dricus is a hard guy to hold down, he\u2019s a big, strong man, and the way he handled him and extended his cardio over five rounds and just kept efficiently making those adjustments so he didn\u2019t gas himself early, the only shortcoming anyone could have said before that Dricus fight would have been his cardio. Investing so heavily into his wrestling in Round 1 and then slowing down in the later rounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo for him to have closed that gap, to make those adjustments, we prepped as well as anybody else can, and I\u2019m sure Dricus prepped as well as anybody else could, it\u2019s just [Chimaev\u2019s] level is to be respected. It is.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Strickland to have a chance, Whittaker would like to see the challenger focus on striking and preventing Chimaev from getting into grappling range as opposed to having to rely on his grappling defense to survive the fight. Because if the fight gets to that point, it might already be too late.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I think the jab is going to be an annoying obstacle for Chimaev to try and get in on,\u201d Whittaker said. \u201cBut also the way Strickland raises his knee to throw those teeps and he raises that knee and then jabs you at the same time. So I think that that raising of his knee might be a deterrent for Chimaev shooting in freely. If Chimaev times it wrong, he\u2019s going to go straight into a knee, no matter who you are that\u2019s going to hurt. So I think those are the pieces.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think the answer is going to be Strickland\u2019s wrestling defense or jiu-jitsu. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to play a factor. I think Chimaev is just so solidly into that all-in-on-wrestling formula that\u2019s worked for him since Day 1. You can\u2019t catch up. I don\u2019t think you can catch up, I think you can throw some obstacles and you can try to put some deterrents in there and you can try to work out the cardio levels and efficiency and energy levels of defending takedowns and forcing him back to his feet, etc. etc. But I don\u2019t think that\u2019s where the answer lies to beating Chimaev. I think you need to try and create obstacles for him to be reluctant to try and go into where he\u2019s strongest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roundtable. Just how ugly is this Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland feud?<\/a><\/p>\n Brawl. Pitbull Brothers claim Karate Combat is up to some promotional weirdness.<\/a><\/p>\n Confusion. Sean Brady explains how Michael Morales fight almost fell through.<\/a><\/p>\n Option B. Sean O\u2019Malley wanted to fight Petr Yan,<\/a> not Aiemann Zahabi at the White House.<\/p>\n Plans. Dana White thinks fans watching UFC White House at the nearby Ellipse will still be thrilled.<\/a><\/p>\n MMA Fighting\u2019s Mike Heck chats with Sean Brady ahead of UFC 328.<\/p>\n SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE<\/p>\n It\u2019s not too late to not do this,<\/p>\n Can I borrow $120 U.S. smackaroonies? Asking for a friend.<\/p>\n How much would you pay for a UFC Freedom 250 hockey jersey?<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The UFC White House merch train is rolling and you can now purchase a UFC Freedom 250-branded hockey jersey for the low, low price of $120 USD (h\/t Jed I. Goodman<\/a>).<\/p>\n We’ve seen UFC shorts and kits, but with the historic June 14 event approaching, you can truly declare yourself an octagon fanatic with this commemorative jersey.<\/p>\n Thoughts? Too much? Not enough???<\/p>\n Only positive thoughts here, people, we\u2019ve got a compelling main and co-main event Saturday night so let\u2019s hope all four title fight competitors make it to fight night without issue.<\/p>\n (I\u2019m looking at you, Chimaev!)<\/p>\n If you find something you\u2019d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKLee<\/a> of @JedKMeshew<\/a> on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, Twitch<\/a>, and like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Alexander](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/chicago-79__condensed_..jpg\"\/)
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