Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaevin square off in the co-main event at UFC 308. Khamzat Chimaev is the betting favorite. But after recent fitness and health issues, will he last the distance against the vastly more experienced Whittaker? The fight is set to be an intriguing scrap and we will attempt to break it down and tell you the best bets to place in our latest UFC betting picks.
UFC 308 is the next pay-per-view card from the UFC promotion. The event is taking place in Abu Dhabi on October 26th, just three weeks after UFC 307.
In the main event, Ilia Topuria is defending his UFC Featherweight title against the explosive former champion Max Holloway. You can read our take on that fight in our Topuria vs Holloway betting picks.
Before Topuria and Holloway get it on, Robert Whittaker faces Khamzat Chinaev in the co-main event. The fight is a middleweight contest. Whittaker is ranked No.3 in the UFC 185-pound division. Chinaev is the No.12.
Despite the rankings, Chinaev (-188) is the favorite to win. Big things are expected from the Russian and he has been identified as a future champion and star attraction by the promotion.
But to begin to fulfill his potential, Chinaev has to find a way past tricky opponents like Whittaker if he is to navigate his way to the top. Whittaker is a former champion. He has been there, done it, and has a draw full of the t-shirts to prove it.
Whittaker won’t simply roll over and allow Chimaev to win.
In the latest UFC odds, Khamzat Chimaev is the -188 betting favorite to win on the money line. Robert Whittaker is +162 to upset the odds and throw a spanner in the works of the UFC.
Whittaker is the sort of fighter who will take great delight in doing this as well. He knows he is seen as a stepping stone in the progress of Chimaev within the organization. And this makes the Aussie an even more dangerous opponent.
More Whittaker vs. Chimaev betting options from our recommended UFC betting sites can be found on our odds table.
Robert Whittaker has an MMA record of 26-7.
In the UFC, his record reads 17-5. Of his five defeats within the organization, two came early in his career, with the latter three coming against Israel Adesanya (twice) and Dricus du Plessis.
These are top-level defeats.
The two losses against Adesanya were both for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Whittaker lost the title to Adesanya by KO at UFC 243 in 2019. He then lost to the champion by unanimous decision at UFC 271 in 2022 trying to win the title back.
In July 2023, Whittaker lost a title eliminator against Dricus du Plessis by TKO at UFC 290. Du Plessis has since gone on to win and successfully defend the title. So there is no disgrace in losing to the current champion.
Whittaker is a fighter with no obvious weakness, but he may fall just short of the elite level. Ten of his 26 wins have come by KO. He has also won eleven times by decision, and five by submission.
The 33-year-old has good striking power, landing 4.58 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 43 percent. He absorbs 3.44 significant strikes per minute.
Whittaker comes into the Chimaev fight on the back of two victories. The wins were over Paulo Costa (Feb 2024) by unanimous decision, and Ikram Aliskerov (June 2024) by KO.
Khamzat Chimaev has a mixed martial arts record of 13-0. The undefeated 30-year-old is 7-0 in the UFC promotion.
A wrestler by trade, Khamzat Chimaev is also developing nicely into a good all-around fighter. This is backed up by his career statistics that show six of his 13 wins have come by KO, two by decision, and five by submission.
In his most recent contest, Chimaev defeated Kamaru Usman by majority decision at UFC 294. The fight took place in October 2023 and is Chimaev’s only fight since he defeated Kevin Holland at UFC 279 in September 2022.
Chimaev connects with 5.72 significant strikes per minute, significantly more than Whittaker. His accuracy rate is also higher at 58 percent. He absorbs 3.46 strikes per minute with a defense of 42 percent.
Doubts remain about the fitness of Chimaev. And with only one fight in the last two years, he has done little to quell those fears.
Chinaev suffered long-term effects from Covid-19. This led to him announcing his retirement from the sport in March 2021. He has obviously reversed this decision. But doubts have to remain about how much this might have taken out of him in the long run.
Robert Whittaker is an experienced old pro when it comes to fights like this. He knows that if he can keep Chimaev at bay for the opening couple of rounds, his chances of victory increase.
Chinaev will look to end the fight early. If he fails, we say Robert Whittaker wins the contest.
A win for Whittaker is our betting pick.
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