Robert Whittaker predicts Khamzat Chimaev rout of Sean Strickland

Robert Whittaker expects Khamzat Chimaev to blow through Sean Strickland when the two middleweights meet at UFC 328, drawing on his own October encounter with the Chechen grappler to back the call.

Whittaker, who absorbed a first-round face crank from Chimaev at UFC 308, told fans in a video posted to social media that Chimaev's pressure and pace will prove too much for the former champion. "Having been in there with Chimaev… Chimaev's going to run him over," Whittaker said, per Sherdog.

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Why the opening round decides Strickland's fate

The Australian pointed to the first five minutes as the critical window, suggesting Strickland must survive Chimaev's early onslaught to have any chance of dragging the fight into later rounds where his cardio and volume could matter. Chimaev has finished six of his last seven UFC wins inside the distance, most of them in round one.

Strickland closed as underdog in early offshore lines despite holding a title as recently as January 2024, when Dricus du Plessis took the belt from him by split decision. Chimaev has not fought since stopping Whittaker seven months ago.

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UFC 328 takes place March 8 in Las Vegas with the Chimaev-Strickland main event serving as a middleweight title eliminator.

Source: sherdog.com