Whittaker or Chimaev? Usman and Cejudo disagree on UFC 308 favorites

Robert whittaker (left) and Khamzat Shimaev (dir.) face each other in the UFC 308. Photo: SUPER FIGHTS montage

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Khamzat Shimaev e Robert whittaker face each other in the co-main event of the UFC 308, which takes place this Saturday (26) in Abu Dhabi. In addition to the expectation of a balanced confrontation inside the octagon, the duel also divides opinions: while Henry Cejudo bet on the Australian's victory, Kamaru Usman trusts in the triumph of his former rival, the 'Wolf'.

On a recent episode of the 'Pound 4 Pound' podcast, hosted by Usman alongside Cejudo, the former champions disagreed over who will have their hand raised next Saturday, with the 'Nigerian Nightmare' even comparing his colleague's perspective to that of a casual fan.

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“I don’t think you’re being too harsh. I think a lot of casual fans feel the same way you do. Robert whittaker is a guy who can either fight you in grappling or stop you from doing so, a guy who can put together combinations that can potentially take you down. But I think Khamzat Shimaev “It’s special. If he can grab you and drag you to the ground, I think he can impose his will down there and potentially end the fight. Let me be brief. I love Whittaker. I think he’s super talented, especially with what he did in beating Ikram. But if I had to pick, I’d go with Chimaev,” said the former welterweight champion (up to 77kgs).

Whittaker and Chimaev were scheduled to fight at UFC Saudi Arabia in June, but Khamzat had to withdraw due to illness. However, the Australian knocked out the replacement, Ikram Aliskerov, in the first round.