Whittaker: Khamzat Chimaev will steamroll Strickland at UFC 328

Robert Whittaker thinks Khamzat Chimaev will overwhelm Sean Strickland when they meet in the main event of UFC 328.

The former middleweight champion, who lost to Chimaev by first-round submission at UFC 308, told fans he expects the undefeated Chechen to dominate from the opening bell. "Having been in there with Chimaev… Chimaev's going to run him over," Whittaker said, per Sherdog.

Why the first round matters for Strickland's chances

Whittaker's warning hinges on Chimaev's ability to impose his wrestling early. The Australian believes the opening five minutes will determine whether Strickland can stay competitive or gets dragged into deep water. Strickland's defensive boxing and cardio have carried him through five-rounders before, but Chimaev's pace and cage pressure present a different problem than the volume strikers the former champion has handled.

Chimaev has not fought since his October win over Whittaker, a performance that included a brutal face crank to force the tap. Strickland, meanwhile, went to a split decision loss against Dricus du Plessis in his last outing at UFC 297 in January 2024.

UFC 328 takes place in Riyadh on March 8.

Source: sherdog.com