{"id":4865,"date":"2024-12-01T21:24:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T20:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/?p=4865"},"modified":"2024-12-02T21:30:15","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T20:30:15","slug":"robert-whittaker-criticizes-rankings-and-explains-why-khamzat-chimaev-deserves-a-title-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/robert-whittaker-criticizes-rankings-and-explains-why-khamzat-chimaev-deserves-a-title-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Whittaker Criticizes Rankings and Explains Why Khamzat Chimaev Deserves a Title Shot"},"content":{"rendered":"

After his quick defeat to Khamzat Chimaev<\/strong> at UFC 308<\/strong>, Robert Whittaker<\/strong> expressed his opinion that the Chechen fighter, known as “Borz,” deserves a chance to compete for the middleweight title, even though he believes some fighters shouldn’t be rewarded without active participation.<\/p>\n

A Swift Defeat and Admittance of Difficulty<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the co-main event of UFC 308, Whittaker faced a tough challenge against Chimaev, who didn\u2019t give the New Zealander a chance to advance. Chimaev managed to submit Whittaker in just two minutes of the first round, proving his worth and skill in takedowns\u2014a clear weak point for his opponent.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the MMA Arcade<\/strong> podcast, Whittaker admitted his inability to counter this technique and said:<\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t know how to stop these takedowns. That\u2019s what makes Chimaev a nightmare for any fighter in the top five. Personally, I believe he should face Dricus Du Plessis directly.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Criticism of Rewarding Inactivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While acknowledging Chimaev\u2019s merit, Whittaker voiced his disapproval of title shots being granted to inactive fighters. He stated:<\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t think inactivity should be rewarded. But in the end, it\u2019s not my decision.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This comment came in response to the potential fight between current champion Dricus Du Plessis<\/strong> and Sean Strickland<\/strong>, who recently defeated Paulo Costa<\/strong> in a less-than-thrilling performance.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next for Khamzat Chimaev?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Although Whittaker wants to see Chimaev face Du Plessis, it seems the organization is leaning in a different direction. Nevertheless, Khamzat Chimaev<\/strong> remains in a strong position to earn a title shot, having consistently proven his superiority over top names in the middleweight division.<\/p>\n

The Decision Lies with the UFC<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With uncertainty surrounding Dricus Du Plessis<\/strong>‘ next opponent, the key question remains: Will Chimaev get the opportunity many believe he deserves, or will the organization opt to schedule a title fight against Sean Strickland?<\/p>\n

Fans eagerly await the answer, as the upcoming fight could reshape the competitive landscape of the middleweight division.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After his quick defeat to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, Robert Whittaker expressed his opinion that the Chechen fighter, known as “Borz,” deserves a chance to compete for the middleweight title, even though he believes some fighters shouldn’t be rewarded without active participation. A Swift Defeat and Admittance of Difficulty In the co-main event of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,21],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4865","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mma","8":"category-ufc-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4865"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4865"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4865\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4867,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4865\/revisions\/4867"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}