Since the announcement of the middleweight fight between former champion Robert Whittaker and undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, to headline the upcoming event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, fans have been eagerly anticipating seeing them battle it out in the Octagon. The stakes are high in this one as it is for the #1 contender spot in the middleweight division

The organization originally planned to hold this event on March 2nd. However, it was later shifted to June 22nd. The main reason behind this change was the bout between Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua, scheduled for late March. Plus, the original proposed card lacked the big names it has now. Ultimately, the UFC successfully rescheduled the Saudi Arabian event for June 22nd.

This move marks a landmark achievement for the UFC, as it will be their first time hosting an event in Saudi Arabia. Adding to the excitement, Dana White announced that the winner of the Whittaker vs. Chimaev fight would compete for the official No. 1 contender’s spot and a title shot. Whites said, “It’s going to be historic. it’s the first-ever show from the kingdom.”

Now turning to the upcoming fight card, Whittaker and Chimaev are training hard as evidenced by their recent social media updates. A reel resurfaced online showing Chimaev grappling with a training partner. In the video, Chimaev initially appears happy, primarily because of how easily he is able to control his partner. When his opponent escaped his hold. ‘Borz’ was just menacingly smiling and chasing him, having fun. However, this has led some fans to question Chimaev’s skills and sparked an outage online.

Khamzat Chimaev’s training video sparks doubts about his readiness for the clash with Robert Whittaker

This video, shared by the Instagram page ‘mmauncensored,’ shows Chimaev sparring which some fans believe doesn’t display his best skill. The caption to the post asked if Chimaev would be a future middleweight UFC champion.

Comments on the video debated this question. One fan wrote,  “I don’t see this guy beating Whittaker honestly.” Another took it a step further, suggesting Chimaev might not be UFC caliber, stating, “Yeah in Bellator maybe. Bob [Whittaker]’s knuckles by KO.” A Chimaev supporter countered with, “In your dreams.”

More critical comments emerged as well. One UFC fan wrote, “He will never be a champion.” Another fan went so far as to say, “This dude ain’t beating anyone in the top.” This sentiment was echoed by another who stated, “UFC mw champ? NOPE. Bellator for sure.”

The final comment creates an interesting contrast. One fan compared Chimaev to Bo Nickal, a rising prospect, stating, “Bo does not stand a chance against this guy.” This highlights the differing opinions surrounding Chimaev’s potential, despite concerns raised by the training video.

Despite the concerns, there is no doubt that Chimaev vs. Whittaker has the potential to be one of the best fights of the year. Who will get their hand raised in Riyadh? Stay tuned to find out!