Sonnen praises change in Chimaev's preparation and claims he is favorite for UFC 308 fight

C. Sonnen presenting his program on YouTube. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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In the co-main event of UFC 308 , Khamzat Chimaev faces Robert Whittaker in a fight that could determine the next challenger for the UFC middleweight title (up to 84,9 kg). Although he acknowledges that 'The Wolf' has made good changes in his preparation, Chael Sonnen believes that this will not be enough to defeat the Australian.

The former Middleweight title challenger commented on his YouTube channel about the coaching change Chimaev made during his preparation, which he believes will be beneficial but insufficient against Whittaker.

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“If Chimaev is going back to the coach he had when he was 17, you’ll see one of the best versions of Chimaev you’ve ever seen. But that’s still that damn Robert Whittaker . He’s going to beat you. He’s going to keep you on your feet and start beating you up,” Sonnen stated.

Chimaev small in the middleweights

After failing to make welterweight (up to 77 kg) for his fight at UFC 279 , the Chechen fighter based in Sweden was forced to move up to middleweight. Although Chimaev has already debuted in the new weight class, Sonnen said he is still not convinced that this is the ideal division for 'The Wolf' and makes a comparison to the Australian's size.

“I’m not convinced about Chimaev’s size. I know some of you are. You’re saying he’s trying really hard to get down to 84 pounds and that 77 pounds is too far for him. I’m just not convinced about how big he is at middleweight. I know how big Whittaker is; I supported Whittaker moving up to 93 pounds,” the former fighter said.

In his last fight, Chimaev emerged victorious in a middleweight bout. However, he faced former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman , who was making his debut in the division. Khamzat Chimaev faces Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308 , this Saturday (26) in Abu Dhabi.

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