“Sometimes I’m Jealous”: Robert Whittaker Admits Khamzat Chimaev Has a Wrestling Advantage He Wishes He Had
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The former interim middleweight champion says fighters who can dominate in wrestling take lesser damage, and he’s envious of that longevity.
Robert Whittaker has spent years in the UFC middleweight division taking damage, suffering devastating knockout losses, surgeries, and bouncing back from the losses.
So when Whittaker looks across the division at fighters like Khamzat Chimaev, he sees athletes taking a no-damage route to victories. And hilariously, Whittaker accepted the envy.
Robert Whittaker Talks About Khamzat Chimaev
The conversation came up on The Joe Rogan Experience, where Joe Rogan brought up the fighters’ struggle of calculating their way to a win while putting up exciting fights for the fans.
“There’s definitely a disconnect between what the UFC wants, which is exciting fights, and what a fighter has to do to survive long term,” Rogan said.
Whittaker didn’t hesitate. “If I could do what Chimaev does… Like, sometimes I'm jealous of these guys who can just wrestle because they take no damage. They just take people down and destroy them there,” he added.
Their conversation was a clear reference to the fighters released from the UFC. Farid Basharat was a recent example of those releases.
The Farid Basharat Release
Undefeated UFC bantamweight contender Farid Basharat (16-0) was recently removed from the roster without a clear explanation.
Basharat went 7-0 in the UFC and was ranked eighth in the official bantamweight rankings. Despite his impressive run, the promotion did not re-sign him.
When asked about the situation, Dana White said, “I mean, this isn't the first time this has happened. And either guys aren't good to deal with, or the matchmakers don't want to deal with them, which could be turning down fights or whatever the reasoning is. If you're 16 and 0 with seven wins in the UFC and don't get resigned, there's definitely a reason."
Following the UFC president’s comments, Basharat and his manager immediately responded, claiming they had never turned down a fight offered to them. The move has become another controversial UFC roster decision, following Michael “Venom” Page’s release, and has left many fans shocked.
