The MMA fandom has been left buzzing after it was recently announced that Robert Whittaker will be taking on Khamzat Chimaev at the UFC’s first foray into Saudi Arabia. The clash will be a 5-round middleweight marquee feature for the June 22 event in Riyadh, and as stated by UFC CEO Dana White in his announcement video, will determine the number 1 contender for the 185 lbs title.

As such, Joe Rogan also added his own stamp of approval to the highly anticipated event, and according to Chael Sonnen, there is a particular reason why fans should take Rogan’s hype for this bout seriously by highlighting the fact that the UFC color commentator rarely pays this much attention to a fight!  

Chael Sonnen peels back the curtain on Joe Rogan’s “legit” claims for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker

Going into the clash in Saudi Arabia, Robert Whittaker is coming off an incredible victory at UFC 298 where he won a unanimous decision over the dangerous, Paulo Costa. Khamzat Chimaev, on the other hand, hasn’t competed since his win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 last year.

As such, speaking in a recent episode of the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) with Joey Diaz, Rogan stated, “That is a wild fight. … Whittaker vs. Khamzat is legit. That’s a real fight. That’s a real fight for Khamzat because Whittaker is a big dude. He’s a big, solid, beefy 185, former champion.”

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And according to Chael Sonnen, Rogan doesn’t typically weigh in on fights, especially before they happen. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen stated, “Joe does not always comment on fights, even main events. In fact, it’s rare, particularly before the fight, like from a product of, uh, ‘I’m the UFC announcer and I’m going to help sell the fight.’ Like that’s not really what Joe does…”

He also highlighted the significance of Rogan’s comments as he went on, “Imagine where Joe Rogan’s at, he sees them all, he doesn’t cherry pick ’em on a certain night. He sees the first fight to the last fight, and he’s engaged and he’s working, so when Joe does notice one and it gets his attention to this degree, it means you got something, and I feel the same way.”

In conclusion, Sonnen’s explanation clarifies Rogan’s remarks, revealing that Rogan’s interest in the Chimaev versus Whittaker fight signifies its potential significance and quality in the eyes of the UFC commentator. This, in turn, means that fans can expect a clash that may be full of fireworks and non-stop action!

And going by Robert Whittaker’s recent revelations, he is set to go to war against ‘Borz’ and test the aura of invincibility that Chimaev has created around him in the MMA world.

‘The Reaper’ is aiming to end Chimaev’s undefeated streak 

Former UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker has got a plan in mind for his bout against Khamzat Chimaev. ‘The Reaper’ recently made an appearance on ex-UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson’s podcast and broke down why he accepted the Chimaev fight and what his game plan is for taking on the undefeated, ‘Borz’.

Whittaker stated, “I’m really looking forward to this fight. I think it’s going be a hard fight. I want to take that same mentality into this fight, and look to take him to war, and just earn this win.”

He also revealed that he wants to ‘test the hype’ surrounding Chimaev when he steps into the cage against his opponent. The Australian further stated, “One of his greatest strengths is the fact that he can force the wrestling on people, and I think it’s going to be a little harder to force the wrestling on me, just because of my distance, because of my control of spacing.”

For Whittaker, a victory over Chimaev could propel him back into title contention, as Whittaker sees the fight as an opportunity to prove himself against a highly touted opponent and potentially earn another shot at the title he once held.

Do you agree with Joe Rogan’s assessment of the Chimaev vs. Whittaker fight? And who do you think will come out on top? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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