![Robert Whittaker (left) will fight Khamzat Chimaev (right) on June 22 [Images Courtesy: @robwhittakermma and @khamzat_chimaev Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/03/f2cc3-17116400110944-1920.jpg)
![Robert Whittaker (left) will fight Khamzat Chimaev (right) on June 22 [Images Courtesy: @robwhittakermma and @khamzat_chimaev Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Robert Whittaker said he would be working extra hard in preparation for his recently announced fight against Khamzat Chimaev. The middleweight bout will headline the UFC's inaugural event in Saudi Arabia scheduled to take place on June 22.
The fight announcement came a couple of days after Chimaev's manager took to Instagram and hinted that a piece of big news related to 'Borz' was on the way.
Whittaker, who inserted his name in the win column by defeating Paulo Costa at UFC 298, shared his thoughts on the fight. During the latest episode of his MMArcade Podcast, 'The Reaper' said:
"I do understand the task at hand. It's going to be hard and I'm going to be grinding my a** off this camp and I'm looking forward to it because it's a good thing. After my last fight, I didn't really have any injuries. The body is good."
He added:
"They offered me the fight four or five weeks ago and, man, I'm ready! Just give me another one. I'm in a great head space to take another hard fight. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, mate!"
Catch Robert Whittaker's comments here (0:53).
"We're both going to leave it there" - Robert Whittaker expects to create history with "villain" Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia
Robert Whittaker is primarily a striker and many consider him to be one of the best anti-wrestlers in UFC history. Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev is a wrestler by trade and has dominated most of his opponents in grappling exchanges.
Speaking further on the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker shared his thoughts on Chimaev's fighting style and predicted a hard fight on June 22:
"He's a hard fighter. He likes to grapple a lot. He uses his reach and range to good effectiveness, he's got knockout power. He likes to play villain against his opponents but I'm looking forward to it. He's an honorable fighter. We're going to get in there and we're going to have an honest fight. We're both going to leave it there. He's not a quitter, I'm not a quitter. I look forward to creating history in Saudi Arabia." [3:45]
The UFC on ABC 6 event headlined by Whittaker vs. Chimaev will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 22. The winner of the fight will likely be the next challenger for the UFC middleweight title currently held by Dricus du Plessis.
