- Robert Whittaker addressed rumors claiming a fight with Khamzat Chimaev was in discussion
- “The Reaper” said he and the UFC are working on a March or April fight
Robert Whittaker’s name has been linked to a fight with UFC rising star Khamzat Chimaev. However, “The Reaper” recently revealed it was all rumors, and the only truth as of now is that he is likely to fight in a few months.
Robert had nothing to do with Borz
Speaking on Fox Sports Australia, Whittaker said there was never an offer made to take on Chimaev and the only fight they worked on was against Paulo Costa. The fight did not come to fruition though as Costa withdrew from the card, resulting in the cancellation of the match.
Nevertheless, “The Reaper” revealed that the UFC and his team are now looking at a March or April fight with an opponent yet to be determined.
“I wasn’t offered anybody. Just to clarify things,” Whittaked clarified. “It was just, ‘We can’t get Costa across the line so we’ll look to reschedule for March [or] April.’ As you saw with [Sean] Strickland, who took a short-notice fight on what, tw0-days’ notice, you can see Strickland would have fought. Which makes me think that the UFC doesn’t want to give me any fight, they want me to fight someone specific in March or April. So, I’m curious to find out who they want me fighting and what sort of date I would like.”
Eyes on the prize
Like his fellow top contenders, Whittaker hopes to reclaim his throne and compete for the middleweight title once again. The former champ has previously admitted that he still fancies facing Israel Adesanya in a trilogy match but is also open for a showdown with reigning middleweight king Alex Pereira.
Before Costa’s withdrawal, Whittaker has been fully committed to follow up his victory over Marvin Vettori this past September. “The Reaper” has not lost a fight outside Adesanya since becoming the UFC middleweight champion in 2018.
With a fight targeted for him in March or April, it will be interesting to see who the No. 2 middleweight contender will face next. Chimaev, meanwhile, is also being linked to a title fight with Pereira after presenting a strong case to compete at the 185-pound division by making quick work of Kevin Holland at UFC 279.
