October 17, 2024 4 min read

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Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev UFC 308 Odds, Time, and Prediction

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev is supposed to serve as the co-main event of UFC 308, which is taking place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Saturday, October 26

Knowing “Borz” and his history of canceled flights, our Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev prediction is that the UFC 308 co-main event won’t go through. But in case it does, we’re going to analyze the matchup in this betting preview and share our top pick.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev Odds

MoneylineOdds
Robert Whittaker+150
Khamzat Chimaev-175
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When, Where, and How to Watch?

  • Place: Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Date: Saturday, October 26, 2024
  • Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
  • How to Watch: PPV

Will Robert Whittaker Beat Khamzat if the Chechen Turns Up?

Could Robert Whittaker (27-7) be the first man to defeat Khamzat Chimaev (13-0)? Judging by the odds, the answer is no. However, there are some things you should know about these guys before rushing to back “Borz”.

Firstly, Whittaker vs. Chimaev is a middleweight fight, with a maximum fighter weight limit of 185 pounds (83.91 kilograms). Only three of Khamzat’s seven UFC fights were like that, and in two of those he fought former welterweights – Gerald Meerschaert and Kamaru Usman, who made his middleweight debut in that fight.

Whittaker too used to fight in the welterweight division but that was a decade ago. In 2024, he’s one of the biggest and most powerful middleweights. He’s great physically and he’s got a very well-rounded set of fighting skills.

“Bobby Knuckles” lands plenty of powerful strikes (4.58) and his takedown defense is pretty solid (82%). On top of everything, despite being just three years older than Khamzat, he’s fought 21 fights more than him.

This includes fights against real elite middleweights including the current champ Dricus du Plessis, but also Israel Adesanya, Marvin Vettori, Paulo Costa, and others.

Will Khamzat Chimaev Pull Out of UFC 308?

Khamzat Chimaev has gotten a reputation as a fight-dodger. He’s already pulled out once from the fight with Whittaker. It happened last June when he canceled the fight due to illness.

Two years earlier, he showed up overweight at UFC 279, so instead of fighting Nate Diaz, he fought and defeated Kevin Holland by submission. However, that wasn’t too much of an achievement given that Holland isn’t much of a wrestler/grappler, with his TD defense being just 54%

Back in 2021, he was supposed to fight Leon Edwards, but he pulled out of that fight as well, citing long COVID as the reason to do it.

Many fans have stopped loving him for this, but he seems to still be loved by powerful people. Not only does he remain friends with Vladimir Putin’s right hand, Ramzan Kadyrov, but the UFC boss Dana White seems to have a soft spot for him.

The evidence of this is that Khamzat is primed to be the next champ. Despite not winning against a single Top 15 middleweight, he got to fight Whittaker in what’s basically a title eliminator fight. If he wins, he’ll fight du Plessis for the title, jumping the queue ahead of guys like Sean Strickland, Caio Borralho, Nassourdine Imavov, and others.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev Prediction

We predict that Khamzat will get a mysterious illness on October 26, so he’ll have no choice but to pull out of the fight again. However, if he does show up at Etihad Arena, our prediction is that he will win. History teaches us that this guy only enters the Octagon when he’s absolutely certain that he’s going to win.

So, if the Whittaker vs. Chimaev goes through, our prediction is that “Borz” will use his wrestling skills (which, to be fair, are elite) to stick to “Bobby Knuckles” like glue for 15 minutes. Then, after the final bell, the judges will score in his favor.

Pick: Khamzat Chimaev by Decision

Journalist

Jessie is our resident sports specialist with over 4 years of experience in sports journalism. She's worked with several prominent online sports news outlets in the past and has accrued specialist insight across a wide range of sports markets. Combined with her own love and excitement of sports, having competed at a national level during college, she aims to improve sports coverage value for our readers at GamblingNews.

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