UFC 308: Rob Whittaker expecting hostile reception when he walks out to fight Khamzat Chimaev

Rob Whittaker is prepared for a hostile reception when he walks out to fight Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, but what he does not concern him is his opponent’s history of illness and struggling to make weight.

Rob Whittaker experienced a shocking career first when he fought Ikram Aliskerov in Saudi Arabia in June.

The Aussie middleweight is one of the most popular fighters on the planet, and has fans everywhere from Perth to Paris.

But, after 22 fights in the UFC over 12 years, in June The Reaper finally felt what it was like to not be the crowd favourite.

“Mate, last time I was in this part of the world I got booed!” Whittaker told this masthead.

It was jarring.

Along with Alex Volkanovski, he was arguably the most popular fighter and received the biggest cheers of everyone in Anaheim at UFC 298 in February, and UFC 290 in Las Vegas last year.

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But in Aliskerov’s backyard, in front of the rising star’s fans, Whittaker finally discovered what so many other opponents have experienced walking out to fight him.

Typically, he took it all in stride.

🗣️ Robert Whittaker: “I’m coming in #UFC308 the best version of myself that I’ve ever been mate. I’m coming for ya.”

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— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 21, 2024

“Look, it was different, but it didn’t make me feel any different,” he said. “It didn’t really affect me that much.

“I’m just there for a job. I’m on a mission.

“We’ve got a nice little base camp over there (in Dubai), which is really comfortable.”

That’s where Whittaker has been training for the past week before making the 70 minute drive down the highway to Abu Dhabi.

This weekend’s five-round co-main event fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 will be Whittaker’s third fight in Abu Dhabi.

Add his win over Aliskerov in June and he’s become a regular in this part of the world.

But he doubts that will do much to change the crowd’s reaction at Etihad Arena on Sunday.

“I think it’d be crazy to be fighting a Muslim bloke in a Muslim country and expect to have everyone throw streamers at me,” he said. “Maybe they will (boo).

“But it’s one of those things that I just don’t think about. It just does not bother me.”

Robert Whittaker reacts after his victory against Ikram Aliskerov of Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Kingdom Arena on June 22, 2024. Picture: Getty Images

Chimaev pulled out of their originally scheduled bout in June, instead allowing Aliskerov to take a first round knockout.

In keeping with his “control what you can control” mantra, Whittaker doesn’t get drawn into speculation about the Dagestani phenom’s history of illness and struggling during his weight cuts.

“Mate, zero care,” he said when asked about Chimaev’s weight issues. “Zero care. I’m just focusing on myself.

“I know I’m gonna get in there, cut the weight and punch on.”

It’s a similar response when asked whether the UFC will have a back-up middleweight on hand if Chimaev is unable to fight.

“It makes sense to have someone,” he said. “But, again, not my job, not my problem.”

Whittaker’s job will instead come this weekend when he fights for the third time this year, which will be his busiest calendar year since 2014.

And after putting in back-to-back full training camps in preparation for Chimaev, he’s ready to put on a dominant performance and book a title shot in Sydney in February.

“I had a whole camp to prepare for him, so now I feel like I’m twice as good,” he said. “By pulling out, he just put himself at a disadvantage because I’m now a whole fight better.

“So good luck to him.

“He wouldn’t have beaten me last time, and he won’t beat me this time.”

Originally published as UFC 308: Rob Whittaker expecting hostile reception when he walks out to fight Khamzat Chimaev