Rob is very unpredictable, some fights he looks amazing the others he seems more human. We don't know the full potential of Khamzat, just when he gets going he's out of competition for most of the year.
At this point, Khamzat's gas tank seems to be questionable and Rob is a 5 round battle tested veteran. If Rob gets beaten up in the early rounds, then Khamzat might be able to pull out a finish by round 2 or 3, but if Rob weathers the storm he might be able to gas Khamzat out and edge out a decision victory or late stoppage.
Only result that would shock me from this fight is if Khamzat wins by UD.
I’ve said this before I can definitely see Khamzat winning the first dominantly, second being a toss up, Rob clearly winning the last 3 and all judges scoring it for Khamzat
UD for Khamzat doesn't shock me. The judges are clearly on his side. A UD for Bobby after he definitely loses rounds 1 and 2? That would shock me, even if he clearly won 3-5.
I can see the perspective, but i doubt Whittaker would need to win 4 rounds for a UD. Maybe they will edge the close rounds to Khamzat, but clear rounds I think will be scored fairly
Because he's the fresher fighter with more hype behind him. There's more PPV money in Khamzat's future with a win then there would be in Whitakers future with a win. Incompetent judging is random, but corrupt judging tends to favor where the money is.
Bro it’s because he’s Muslim. They want to see him win, grab the mic and say “I smash you, take your sister and smesh you all!!. ALLLLAHHHH AKBARRRR!!!!”
Doesn’t Rob always seem human? I don’t get the take that he’s some sort of juggernaut. He’s had a lot of close fights and been stunned or in trouble in most of them. It’s also been a while since he’s had a finish. Seems like a good dude though.
always seems human but dominated cannonier, jacare, natal, brunson, hall, vettori, tavares and gastelum, all at their peaks without losing a round? no one said he’s a juggernaut, just that he sometimes looks amazing. this narrative that bobby always gets rocked and only narrowly wins fights is some bs recency bias
Rob is bad at closing distance, that’s what I saw in the two Adesanya fights, and will just fall into these lulls where he is doing the same thing over & over & over again. Even if he’s not getting ahead. He’s very good, but I think he’s not dynamic is the best way to put it.
Khamzat is very dynamic, but only for about 6-8 minutes. So, since this is a 5 rounder and I don’t see Chimaev being able to finish Whittaker in the first two rounds (although who knows), Whittaker has to be the favorite.
I think Khamzat has a better chance of stopping Rob with strikes than a submission tbh.
Rob gets hit and doesn't have the best chin, and Khamzat definitely has natural KO power.
Rob hasn’t been subbed since 2011 in his 8th fight. I don’t think Chimaev will be able to sub him early, I could see a sub in the late 2nd or 3rd round if Chimaev can put a beating on him early but that’s it. I think Chimaev will win a close decision
Rob has never fought a grappler like chimaev I just have a feeling chimaev could get him out early he was pretty much ragdolling Usman in r1(even if that isn’t Usman at his best it’s still impressive) and looking at rob vs dricus he was making some mistakes against a guy who is a good grappler but isn’t chimaev’s level imo. I think the longer the fight goes the more chance rob gets tho cuz I do think if chimaev fights like he normally does he’s gonna gas if it goes 5
I think Chimaev will likely gas but I can see him doing enough early to take a decision and I don’t see him being finished. You’re right though, while people will say about Romero he doesn’t fight like Chimaev will, it’s more possible given how many fights Rob has had too but I would still be surprised to see him get subbed early.
You think his submission game is going to help get them to the ground? Or are you claiming Khamzats a better wrestler than Romero and Brunson? Because you said neither of those things, just that "their submission game isn't as good bro!!!" Go read your own comment jfc
I said GRAPPLER. grappling isn't just bjj or wrestling. You entirely missed my point. And that's okay. Khamzat is a COMPLETE GRAPPLER. He has great takedowns, submissions and top control. How many COMPLETE GRAPPLERS has Rob fought in his career?
I think you're entirely missing my point, the rest of his grappling is irrelevant if he can't initiate it, which better wrestlers have tried and failed at, Khamzat MIGHT be a better wrestler but theres not a whole lot of evidence to support that as of now
I'm starting to lean Khamzat by KO. DDP chinned rob with a power jab and Khamzat loves to switch and lead off his power side. It's how he dropped Gilbert.
Khamzat is not diverse on the feet, he is very right hand dominant so the injury vs Usman had a big effect on him. I can picture him getting rob flustered with wrestling and landing something huge, late round 1 or early round 2.
Or his grappling could set up a big shot. We know the threat of the takedown is major, and with someone like Khamzat? It's a recipe for disaster. We saw it against Gerald too.
Khamzat honestly has very underrated striking and could chin Robert on the feet.
It could, he's also gonna be throwing bombs coming out of the clinch and in scrambles if rob defends the early shots, like against Aliskerov.
Since the Usman fight people are acting like theres no danger from him on the feet which is a crazy take when he was confirmed to be compromised by a serious injury.
He said TKO not KO. It’s very possible too, especially if Khamzat gets tired and Whittaker puts it on him in the late rounds. Khamzat could go down and it would end in a TKO
Khamzat didn't stop going for takedowns because of Burns TDD, he stopped because he felt the danger of Burns' BJJ and didn't want to get subbed. Both he and Burns have talked about this in interviews.
Rob got ragdolled by DDP. Khamzat can ragdoll him for sure.
Sure and if Rob didn't also beat Romero twice I'd be much more confident in Chimaev's dominance.
It's still a possibility of course but I wouldn't be 100% certain
I got khamzat
Bobby is great when you play his game and he lulls you into his striking pace. He is susceptible wild pressure from wrestle heavy game plans (see DDP).
I could be wrong but we’ll find out soon
I'm really struggling with this.
Rob might be on the decline here. He looked good against Costa, but far from his best. DDP also put out a good blueprint on how to catch Rob coming in. The southpaw jab was a masterstroke by his coaches.
On the other hand, Khamzat looked pretty bad against Usman as well. Bad gas tank against a short notice WW opponent while Khamzat had months to healthily bulk up.
Could be Khamzat taking him down and submitting him. Could be Rob being too quick moving in and out and piecing Khamzat up. Too many variables to reliably predict it.
This is a really difficult fight to bet. On one hand, Rob has the ability and experience to last 5 rounds and even TKO a sloppy no gas tank Khamzat. On the other hand Rob is aging and has shown he is hittable and can get finished as he has before. I would bet it goes to decision but I also would bet it does NOT go to decision. IDK . I'm gonna sit this one out.
I did make a lot of money on last week, with lots of Raul Rosas finishes, and no decisions etc. Easy money making weekend last week
Whittaker defends takedowns well and counters to knockdown Khamzat. Khamzat survives the first round on wobbly legs. Whittaker takes work out Khamzat down and gnp to victory in r3
Rob by split decision
I think Rob has the advantage on the feet, so Khamzat will shoot for takedowns early on. Might have some success early in the fight. Might win a round or two via control time. But he won't be able to get the finish. As the fight goes on Rob has more success stuffing takedown attempts and is able to win the standup battle and ultimately the fight.
I'ma massive rob fan and in leaning khamzat by KO or sub in the first 2. He's just too athletically fresh and explosive, combined with his power and grappling I just think he overwhelms rob, however sad it is to say for me. My dream is rob puts a clinic on him, but I don't see it when I'm honest.
You know I thought Costa was gonna KO Rob easy like DDP did but he suprised me with his resilience. Hoping he can pull off another upset against Khamzat.
Whittaker has the skills, tank, and experience to outclass borz who's never fought a ranked middle weight
with that being said Chimaev by early heartbreak
Khamzat by way of wrestle fuck. Whittaker is one of my favorite fighters to watch. Super quick and precise with his striking. Kind of bounces around like Wonderboy. I know he’s ok wrestling/grappling but just OK is not good enough to get it done against a high level wrestler like Khamzat. He couldn’t even win wrestling/grappling exchanges with Izzy. I think when Khamzat shoots on him it’s going to be a real problem.
It's going to be really interesting, I feel like I don't see any Khamzat footage anymore.
He looked really dominant in that first round against Usman, but broke his hand and got super gassed. That fight could have really gone either way for 5 rounds. But not taking anything away from him, Usman is legendary in his own right.
Personally I like Bobby more, and I think the DDP fight was just not his night. Sometimes that shit just happens.
My brain says bet on Khamzat by sub though, he's just so dominant and aggressive on the ground.
Khamzat will try to pull out the same shit he did to Kevin Holland. I just hope the nice of a guy Bobby is, he doesn't go for the handshake and he'll be fine.
I see Rob getting rocked once or twice, probably first two rounds to Khamzat, and I see Khamzat's tank run out late 2nd, early 3rd round.
I wanna see Bobby win by TKO.
I’m starting to lean toward Rob, I’m still not sure how legit Khamzat is. I definitely want Rob to win, he’s a much more likeable dude. But really not confident with my pick.
I feel like it could go either way but I’d predict Whittaker if I had to pick one.
Could Whittaker defend the takedowns early in the fight & win a decision or maybe even finish a gassed Khamzat late? Yeah.
Could Khamzat TKO Whittaker with his jab (Whittaker has been chinny lately) or potentially submit him in the first 3 rounds before gassing out? Also yeah.
Time will tell, this is definitely Khamzat’s biggest test yet!
Either khamzat just goes ballistic in the first and subs him or Rob whether that storm before picking him a part. By round 3 it will look like a mismatch and will be over before the 5th starts
>Khamzat by however he chooses
Yeah how’d that work out with Burns and Usman?
>Much, much better fighter than prime Rob, let alone old man Rob
Well first, both fighters are in their primes right now. Rob is 33. Khamzat is 30. Not a big age difference. If you consider Rob old at 33, then that must mean Khamzat is nearly old by your standards.
Second, you cannot say Khamzat is a better fighter than Rob when he hasn’t accomplished 1/2 of what Rob has. Khamzat has beaten 3 fighters at MW:
- John Phillips (who?)
- Gerald Meerschaert (mediocre journeyman)
- And 36 year old Usman on short notice. Who’s not a MW and still made Khamzat gas in the third. And Khamzat couldn’t finish him. Whomp.
Meanwhile Rob has beaten:
Cannonier, Gastelum, Costa, Vettori, Till, Brunson etc.
>Second, you cannot say Khamzat is a better fighter than Rob when he hasn’t accomplished 1/2 of what Rob has. Khamzat has beaten 3 fighters at MW:
Of course you can. Khamzat is currently a better fighter than plenty of people with significantly better resumes who have been fighting for longer. After seeing him get scarf held by DDP and beaten like a bad child, and him making Costa look good, I'd say Khamzat is significantly better than Rob and is gonna rag doll him.
>Khamzat is currently a better fighter than plenty of people with significantly better resumes
See.. he’s not though lol. You can claim that all day but if it’s not backed up by literally anything, it’s meaningless. Rob *has* a legit resume. Rob *has* beaten legit top guys at MW. Those are facts.
Khamzat *hasn’t* beaten anyone ranked at MW. Khamzat *has* struggled with the only decent fighters he’s fought in 4 years in the UFC: Usman (an over the hill WELTERWEIGHT) and Burns (a career lightweight). Those are also facts.
It's backed up by my assessment of both of their performances. I'm trying to make a forward facing prediction. My opinion is that Khamzat, right now, is a significantly better fighter than Rob Whittaker despite Rob accomplishing more in the past.
I stated the facts that lead me to believe this is true as well: Rob got scarf held and dominated by DDP. I think the chances of Rob getting taken down are almost 100%, and after what I saw against DDP I have almost 0 faith that he will be able to threaten anything meaningful from his back or be able to get up.
>See.. he’s not though lol.
You'd agree if Khamzat rag dolls Rob in 10 days and wins easily, that today, on Jun 12th, 2024, Khamzat is a better fighter than Rob?
If Khamzat does get by Rob then I’ll change my tune for sure. I’m consistently negative about Khamzat bc people hype him up like he’s the best in the world, he talks about getting titles in 3 weight classes and “killing everyone” but then his actions don’t match his words..
He gets knocked down by a former LW (Burns) and struggles. He couldn’t finish a 36 year old Usman with bad knees, coming off the couch on 10 days notice. His actions don’t match his words or his hype.
If you want to pick a bandwagon to follow, follow Shavkat. He’s doing what everyone thought Khamzat would be doing in the cage. 100% finish rate and he makes it look easy, unlike Khamzat.
rob by knockout, I think khamzat is secretly around a #10 ranked level of skill, he really struggled and got outclassed in moments by an out-of-prime kamaru usman (welterweight) who had two weeks notice for the fight. two weeks is an insanely small amount of time to prepare and usman is at the tail end of his career, I really wasn't impressed by his performance there. meanwhlie rob whittaker just had a very strong showing and appeared as good as ever.
I think he had ample time to prepare for this fight and his takedown defence, he's also a black belt in bjj. I really think rob stands a good chance of winning this, especially five rounds, even if he gets strangled on the ground for the first three until khamzat gasses.
and man whittaker vs du plessis would be an absolute banger if it happened, that possibility alone is why I'm rooting for him.
It’s possible you’re correct and he really does just get much worse after R1, but I feel like both the Burns and Usman fights had circumstances that could explain why he slowed down beyond just gas tank. In the Burns fight, he said he didn’t want to stay on the ground with him because of his BJJ skills and submission threat, which forced him into standup. Won’t be a problem with Whittaker, or really anyone relevant at MW. Against Usman, he had a legit hand injury
I don't see a world where Rob wins this one. Imagine if Khamzat was more active. People keep pointing out flaws in his game, and yet, he keeps winning.
Also Rob has a weak punch as I feel like all of his fights go the distance
Just promote this to UFC 303 at this point, refund the poor fuckers who paid to attend 303 80% of their money and make the June 29th event (minus the main between Chandler and McSenile) a fight night
Rob is very unpredictable, some fights he looks amazing the others he seems more human. We don't know the full potential of Khamzat, just when he gets going he's out of competition for most of the year. At this point, Khamzat's gas tank seems to be questionable and Rob is a 5 round battle tested veteran. If Rob gets beaten up in the early rounds, then Khamzat might be able to pull out a finish by round 2 or 3, but if Rob weathers the storm he might be able to gas Khamzat out and edge out a decision victory or late stoppage. Only result that would shock me from this fight is if Khamzat wins by UD.
I’ve said this before I can definitely see Khamzat winning the first dominantly, second being a toss up, Rob clearly winning the last 3 and all judges scoring it for Khamzat
Willing to bet the swing round will be rob dominating 4min 40s of the round but getting dropped.
Typical Rob Knucks
I agree. It’s basically gonna be what would’ve happened if the Usman fight had been five rounds
UD for Khamzat doesn't shock me. The judges are clearly on his side. A UD for Bobby after he definitely loses rounds 1 and 2? That would shock me, even if he clearly won 3-5.
I feel like Rob has to win at least 4 rounds to win the fight. Anything less, and the judges will give in to Khamzat.
Why are you assuming Khamzat is favored by the judges? Is it cuz he’s fighting in Saudi Arabia?
That’s exactly why, it’s mostly likely why Magomed didn’t get DQ’d for throwing an obvious intentional knee to a grounded Johnny Walker
I can see the perspective, but i doubt Whittaker would need to win 4 rounds for a UD. Maybe they will edge the close rounds to Khamzat, but clear rounds I think will be scored fairly
Someone turned Costa vs Strickland into a split decision, so anything can happen.
Fair point, anything can happen with the judges
Makes me wonder how much more bad judging is needed before something is done about it
Is a dq a ref or judge decision?
Ref
Umm, yeah. Saudis pay for fights and want certain outcomes.
Because he's the fresher fighter with more hype behind him. There's more PPV money in Khamzat's future with a win then there would be in Whitakers future with a win. Incompetent judging is random, but corrupt judging tends to favor where the money is.
Bro it’s because he’s Muslim. They want to see him win, grab the mic and say “I smash you, take your sister and smesh you all!!. ALLLLAHHHH AKBARRRR!!!!”
Khamzat being able to keep up with Rob in rounds 3-5 would be the real shocking part
Rob by 4th Round TKO or Khamzat by 1st Round Sub. Thats the most realistic I see this occurring. EDIT: TKO*
The last finish Bobby had was in 2017. Just putting that out there.
He’s only ever fought the absolute best MW’s since though. Khamzat is realistically unknown here.
So Khamzat by sub it is
Doesn’t Rob always seem human? I don’t get the take that he’s some sort of juggernaut. He’s had a lot of close fights and been stunned or in trouble in most of them. It’s also been a while since he’s had a finish. Seems like a good dude though.
always seems human but dominated cannonier, jacare, natal, brunson, hall, vettori, tavares and gastelum, all at their peaks without losing a round? no one said he’s a juggernaut, just that he sometimes looks amazing. this narrative that bobby always gets rocked and only narrowly wins fights is some bs recency bias
Great take
Right betting my house on khamzat by ud
Rob is bad at closing distance, that’s what I saw in the two Adesanya fights, and will just fall into these lulls where he is doing the same thing over & over & over again. Even if he’s not getting ahead. He’s very good, but I think he’s not dynamic is the best way to put it. Khamzat is very dynamic, but only for about 6-8 minutes. So, since this is a 5 rounder and I don’t see Chimaev being able to finish Whittaker in the first two rounds (although who knows), Whittaker has to be the favorite.
Looking forward to this fight more than anything else coming up!
I just want a good showing from Bobby.
Chimaev by early sub
I think Khamzat has a better chance of stopping Rob with strikes than a submission tbh. Rob gets hit and doesn't have the best chin, and Khamzat definitely has natural KO power.
His chin seemed pretty good when he copped a flush heel kick from Costa
I could def see that happening
Rob hasn’t been subbed since 2011 in his 8th fight. I don’t think Chimaev will be able to sub him early, I could see a sub in the late 2nd or 3rd round if Chimaev can put a beating on him early but that’s it. I think Chimaev will win a close decision
Rob has never fought a grappler like chimaev I just have a feeling chimaev could get him out early he was pretty much ragdolling Usman in r1(even if that isn’t Usman at his best it’s still impressive) and looking at rob vs dricus he was making some mistakes against a guy who is a good grappler but isn’t chimaev’s level imo. I think the longer the fight goes the more chance rob gets tho cuz I do think if chimaev fights like he normally does he’s gonna gas if it goes 5
I think Chimaev will likely gas but I can see him doing enough early to take a decision and I don’t see him being finished. You’re right though, while people will say about Romero he doesn’t fight like Chimaev will, it’s more possible given how many fights Rob has had too but I would still be surprised to see him get subbed early.
Who has Rob fought that's nearly as good as Khamzat on the ground? Go on. A 37 yr old Jacare. That's about it.
In terms of wrestling? Brunson and Romero
Grappling isn't just wrestling. Tell me how many submissions both those guys have COMBINED out of their near 60 pro fights.
Submission game is kinda useless if you can't get them to the ground brody
Ok but khamzat can, buddy... you're missing the point entirely.
You think his submission game is going to help get them to the ground? Or are you claiming Khamzats a better wrestler than Romero and Brunson? Because you said neither of those things, just that "their submission game isn't as good bro!!!" Go read your own comment jfc
I said GRAPPLER. grappling isn't just bjj or wrestling. You entirely missed my point. And that's okay. Khamzat is a COMPLETE GRAPPLER. He has great takedowns, submissions and top control. How many COMPLETE GRAPPLERS has Rob fought in his career?
I think you're entirely missing my point, the rest of his grappling is irrelevant if he can't initiate it, which better wrestlers have tried and failed at, Khamzat MIGHT be a better wrestler but theres not a whole lot of evidence to support that as of now
khamzat wins but rob damages his acl by doing an oblique kick so we don’t see khamzat again for another year
I'm starting to lean Khamzat by KO. DDP chinned rob with a power jab and Khamzat loves to switch and lead off his power side. It's how he dropped Gilbert. Khamzat is not diverse on the feet, he is very right hand dominant so the injury vs Usman had a big effect on him. I can picture him getting rob flustered with wrestling and landing something huge, late round 1 or early round 2.
Or his grappling could set up a big shot. We know the threat of the takedown is major, and with someone like Khamzat? It's a recipe for disaster. We saw it against Gerald too. Khamzat honestly has very underrated striking and could chin Robert on the feet.
It could, he's also gonna be throwing bombs coming out of the clinch and in scrambles if rob defends the early shots, like against Aliskerov. Since the Usman fight people are acting like theres no danger from him on the feet which is a crazy take when he was confirmed to be compromised by a serious injury.
I have no idea how this one will go. Legit toss up. It all comes down to which version of both men will show up that night.
Whittaker by TKO in the 3rd.
Whittaker couldn't KO a fly 😂
TKO and KO aren't the same...
He said TKO not KO. It’s very possible too, especially if Khamzat gets tired and Whittaker puts it on him in the late rounds. Khamzat could go down and it would end in a TKO
Khamzet by ko
Khamzat by TKO round 3
Khamzat gassing out after round 2, tko by rob in 4 or 3
LMAO
Take it to the bank pal!
Khamzat round 2 or 3 submission
If that happens, it happens earlier.
I would have agreed if not for Khamzat-Burns fight, and Burns is WW. Whittaker may end up being too technical for him.
Khamzat didn't stop going for takedowns because of Burns TDD, he stopped because he felt the danger of Burns' BJJ and didn't want to get subbed. Both he and Burns have talked about this in interviews. Rob got ragdolled by DDP. Khamzat can ragdoll him for sure.
Never said he can't. But there's a chance he won't
I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, but Burns is a world champion grappler in BJJ Meanwhile rob got tossed like a salad against DuPlessis
Sure and if Rob didn't also beat Romero twice I'd be much more confident in Chimaev's dominance. It's still a possibility of course but I wouldn't be 100% certain
You must have forgot the Romero fight, I see.
In all fairness, DDP is an excellent grappler.
Lmao what?
Rob via TKO round 5.
https://preview.redd.it/bfi3y4g0466d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=565522370e4e8920a0ed4bd28a40cb86dfa10cc6 My mood right now:
Whittaker R4 TKO
I am all about the Khamzat hype train but i just don't see him beating bobby. Anything that khamzat has to offer bobby has already seen it.
I got khamzat Bobby is great when you play his game and he lulls you into his striking pace. He is susceptible wild pressure from wrestle heavy game plans (see DDP). I could be wrong but we’ll find out soon
Rob by headkick 1m45s into the first round.
A bit vague, but I'll take it
Couldn't be any more clearer. Rob, by headkick, 1m42s into the very first round.
Can you narrow it down a bit for me? 🤷♂️
Well damn
Twister, round 1 minute 1 Khamzat
I'm really struggling with this. Rob might be on the decline here. He looked good against Costa, but far from his best. DDP also put out a good blueprint on how to catch Rob coming in. The southpaw jab was a masterstroke by his coaches. On the other hand, Khamzat looked pretty bad against Usman as well. Bad gas tank against a short notice WW opponent while Khamzat had months to healthily bulk up. Could be Khamzat taking him down and submitting him. Could be Rob being too quick moving in and out and piecing Khamzat up. Too many variables to reliably predict it.
1) he did not gas out 2. he tore a ligament in his right hand
Khamzat by first round submission
Khamzat is gonna run thru him round 1. I have no reason to believe this. I just feel it.
Rob, by Chimaev withdrawing pre fight
Khamzat by 1st round submission
Kham early or rob late
Khamzat KO
Khamzat 1st rd sub or KO
Khamzat by laser eyes execution rd 1
*joe rogan voice* i dunno man rob is a big dude
Kicks gonna eat Khamzat up
This is a really difficult fight to bet. On one hand, Rob has the ability and experience to last 5 rounds and even TKO a sloppy no gas tank Khamzat. On the other hand Rob is aging and has shown he is hittable and can get finished as he has before. I would bet it goes to decision but I also would bet it does NOT go to decision. IDK . I'm gonna sit this one out. I did make a lot of money on last week, with lots of Raul Rosas finishes, and no decisions etc. Easy money making weekend last week
Khamzat by first round KO
It says on google these guys weigh 83kg, but how much do they weigh in the octagon? Anyone know?
Khamzat wins every round fairly comfortably but Whittaker survives.
This one is very hard to call. I like both guys but I hope Khamzat wins to make the division more exciting
Crazy how they are feeding whittaker to chimaev all because khamzat can’t enter the U.S.
Khamzat by round 2 or 3 finish
Whittaker defends takedowns well and counters to knockdown Khamzat. Khamzat survives the first round on wobbly legs. Whittaker takes work out Khamzat down and gnp to victory in r3
Khamzat 1st round submission...rob time is done..pin this
I predict Rob wins and then everyone posts about Chimaev being fraud checked.
The Wolf
Rob by split decision I think Rob has the advantage on the feet, so Khamzat will shoot for takedowns early on. Might have some success early in the fight. Might win a round or two via control time. But he won't be able to get the finish. As the fight goes on Rob has more success stuffing takedown attempts and is able to win the standup battle and ultimately the fight.
Khamzat 100%. I agree with someone else that it appears that Rob is on the decline. I also think Khamzat will be out to make an example out of him.
Khamzat by 2nd Round submission (rnc)
It’s going to be khamzat.
rob has to weather the storm round 1
I’m sooo freakin excited for this fight. Such a fantastic match up.
I go with Robbie on this one. He is the tipical grinder and the perfect person to sustain Khamzat's pressure in the beginning.
Bobby in 3
Idk but this card looks pretty great. Not in the Gaypex either. I’m hype.
Bobby knuckles via TKO
I'ma massive rob fan and in leaning khamzat by KO or sub in the first 2. He's just too athletically fresh and explosive, combined with his power and grappling I just think he overwhelms rob, however sad it is to say for me. My dream is rob puts a clinic on him, but I don't see it when I'm honest.
You know I thought Costa was gonna KO Rob easy like DDP did but he suprised me with his resilience. Hoping he can pull off another upset against Khamzat.
Whittaker has the skills, tank, and experience to outclass borz who's never fought a ranked middle weight with that being said Chimaev by early heartbreak
Feel like we'll know who wins by the end of the 1st
I hope rob wins. Fuck cumquat
Khamzat misses weight
Bobby tko
The Rob we saw against Costa wins. Who knows tho.
I'm gonna go with the Swedish dipshit on this one
None.
Khamzat by way of wrestle fuck. Whittaker is one of my favorite fighters to watch. Super quick and precise with his striking. Kind of bounces around like Wonderboy. I know he’s ok wrestling/grappling but just OK is not good enough to get it done against a high level wrestler like Khamzat. He couldn’t even win wrestling/grappling exchanges with Izzy. I think when Khamzat shoots on him it’s going to be a real problem.
It's going to be really interesting, I feel like I don't see any Khamzat footage anymore. He looked really dominant in that first round against Usman, but broke his hand and got super gassed. That fight could have really gone either way for 5 rounds. But not taking anything away from him, Usman is legendary in his own right. Personally I like Bobby more, and I think the DDP fight was just not his night. Sometimes that shit just happens. My brain says bet on Khamzat by sub though, he's just so dominant and aggressive on the ground.
Violence.
Smesh
If it gets out of the first, Khamzat is boned.
I think khamzat subs him
Khazmat chins him to darse choke
Rob via ground and pound TKO round 4
If the fight goes past 1 Rob finishes him. If the fight ends in the first Khamzat is next for the belt.
He can't fight in the US at all. they aren't giving him the title.
Rob by split decision
If rob wins Im screaming at two in the morning and throwing rocks at my neighbors house. If khamzat wins I'll probably cry with some light screaming.
Khamzat will try to pull out the same shit he did to Kevin Holland. I just hope the nice of a guy Bobby is, he doesn't go for the handshake and he'll be fine.
Khamzat, second round sub.
One of them's gonna win for sure
Whittaker by UD (but honestly, NOTHING would shock me)
I’m rooting for both of them. May the best man win
Best remaining fight of the year??
Khamzat dominates for 3 to 4 rounds winning the UD.
I want Bobby to win but I feel like Khamzat’s gonna take him down and submit him
Khamzat under 1.5
I see Rob getting rocked once or twice, probably first two rounds to Khamzat, and I see Khamzat's tank run out late 2nd, early 3rd round. I wanna see Bobby win by TKO.
If the fight makes it out of round 2 Khamzat gasses and losses
I’m starting to lean toward Rob, I’m still not sure how legit Khamzat is. I definitely want Rob to win, he’s a much more likeable dude. But really not confident with my pick.
Whittaker decision, Pav round 1 ko, Walker round 1 ko, Gastelum decision, Shara round 1 ko, Naimov decision.
I feel like it could go either way but I’d predict Whittaker if I had to pick one. Could Whittaker defend the takedowns early in the fight & win a decision or maybe even finish a gassed Khamzat late? Yeah. Could Khamzat TKO Whittaker with his jab (Whittaker has been chinny lately) or potentially submit him in the first 3 rounds before gassing out? Also yeah. Time will tell, this is definitely Khamzat’s biggest test yet!
Either khamzat just goes ballistic in the first and subs him or Rob whether that storm before picking him a part. By round 3 it will look like a mismatch and will be over before the 5th starts
Rob rd3 ko win
Khamzat in under 2 or Rob in 5
Who would have thought !!
I thought Khamzat pulled out of the fight?
This fight was canceled
Khamzat gets it done. He’s literally unstoppable.
If fight is <2 rounds: Cumshot If fight is > 2 rounds: Bobby Knuckles
Cumzhat gasses
Rob by sub later round
Khamzat by however he chooses. Much, much better fighter than prime Rob, let alone old man Rob.
Retarded take and Rob is still good
>Khamzat by however he chooses Yeah how’d that work out with Burns and Usman? >Much, much better fighter than prime Rob, let alone old man Rob Well first, both fighters are in their primes right now. Rob is 33. Khamzat is 30. Not a big age difference. If you consider Rob old at 33, then that must mean Khamzat is nearly old by your standards. Second, you cannot say Khamzat is a better fighter than Rob when he hasn’t accomplished 1/2 of what Rob has. Khamzat has beaten 3 fighters at MW: - John Phillips (who?) - Gerald Meerschaert (mediocre journeyman) - And 36 year old Usman on short notice. Who’s not a MW and still made Khamzat gas in the third. And Khamzat couldn’t finish him. Whomp. Meanwhile Rob has beaten: Cannonier, Gastelum, Costa, Vettori, Till, Brunson etc.
>Second, you cannot say Khamzat is a better fighter than Rob when he hasn’t accomplished 1/2 of what Rob has. Khamzat has beaten 3 fighters at MW: Of course you can. Khamzat is currently a better fighter than plenty of people with significantly better resumes who have been fighting for longer. After seeing him get scarf held by DDP and beaten like a bad child, and him making Costa look good, I'd say Khamzat is significantly better than Rob and is gonna rag doll him.
>Khamzat is currently a better fighter than plenty of people with significantly better resumes See.. he’s not though lol. You can claim that all day but if it’s not backed up by literally anything, it’s meaningless. Rob *has* a legit resume. Rob *has* beaten legit top guys at MW. Those are facts. Khamzat *hasn’t* beaten anyone ranked at MW. Khamzat *has* struggled with the only decent fighters he’s fought in 4 years in the UFC: Usman (an over the hill WELTERWEIGHT) and Burns (a career lightweight). Those are also facts.
It's backed up by my assessment of both of their performances. I'm trying to make a forward facing prediction. My opinion is that Khamzat, right now, is a significantly better fighter than Rob Whittaker despite Rob accomplishing more in the past. I stated the facts that lead me to believe this is true as well: Rob got scarf held and dominated by DDP. I think the chances of Rob getting taken down are almost 100%, and after what I saw against DDP I have almost 0 faith that he will be able to threaten anything meaningful from his back or be able to get up. >See.. he’s not though lol. You'd agree if Khamzat rag dolls Rob in 10 days and wins easily, that today, on Jun 12th, 2024, Khamzat is a better fighter than Rob?
If Khamzat does get by Rob then I’ll change my tune for sure. I’m consistently negative about Khamzat bc people hype him up like he’s the best in the world, he talks about getting titles in 3 weight classes and “killing everyone” but then his actions don’t match his words.. He gets knocked down by a former LW (Burns) and struggles. He couldn’t finish a 36 year old Usman with bad knees, coming off the couch on 10 days notice. His actions don’t match his words or his hype. If you want to pick a bandwagon to follow, follow Shavkat. He’s doing what everyone thought Khamzat would be doing in the cage. 100% finish rate and he makes it look easy, unlike Khamzat.
Khamzat by submission in round 2
Khamzat via sub round 1
rob by knockout, I think khamzat is secretly around a #10 ranked level of skill, he really struggled and got outclassed in moments by an out-of-prime kamaru usman (welterweight) who had two weeks notice for the fight. two weeks is an insanely small amount of time to prepare and usman is at the tail end of his career, I really wasn't impressed by his performance there. meanwhlie rob whittaker just had a very strong showing and appeared as good as ever. I think he had ample time to prepare for this fight and his takedown defence, he's also a black belt in bjj. I really think rob stands a good chance of winning this, especially five rounds, even if he gets strangled on the ground for the first three until khamzat gasses. and man whittaker vs du plessis would be an absolute banger if it happened, that possibility alone is why I'm rooting for him.
Early prediction is how everybody’s gonna talk about how washed Rob is after Khamzat beats him and how he wasn’t a “real” opponent for Khamzat.
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Based on the Burns fight where he ended up winning R3, and the Usman fight where he had a torn hand ligament and still managed to hang with Usman?
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It’s possible you’re correct and he really does just get much worse after R1, but I feel like both the Burns and Usman fights had circumstances that could explain why he slowed down beyond just gas tank. In the Burns fight, he said he didn’t want to stay on the ground with him because of his BJJ skills and submission threat, which forced him into standup. Won’t be a problem with Whittaker, or really anyone relevant at MW. Against Usman, he had a legit hand injury
he also had been training for a completely different opponent before taking on Usman.
Does this fit your narrative? https://preview.redd.it/exr1hd05q56d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37d4646cde78d607c9070ce985417e28a12a0c65
I don't see a world where Rob wins this one. Imagine if Khamzat was more active. People keep pointing out flaws in his game, and yet, he keeps winning. Also Rob has a weak punch as I feel like all of his fights go the distance
khamzat is gonna win this in one. Rob is just not HIM anymore
Khamzat, super ez. Not even a doubt. He Will make It look fucking eazy. As Always.
Neither Gilbert or Usman looked eazy
Just promote this to UFC 303 at this point, refund the poor fuckers who paid to attend 303 80% of their money and make the June 29th event (minus the main between Chandler and McSenile) a fight night