Robert Whittaker recently fired back at critics of the UFC 319 main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus du Plessis. Chimaev dominated du Plessis with his superior wrestling and grappling, and controlling the action for most of the fight.
Despite Chimaev’s clear dominance, fans expressed their displeasure. They could be heard booing throughout the fight, especially when ‘Borz’ wasn’t landing any strikes on the ground.
Despite the boos, Chimaev remained unfazed. He continued his relentless attack on du Plessis.
du Plessis, known for his toughness and resilience, had no answer for Chimaev’s pressure. At one point, he was trapped in the crucifix position, with no signs of escaping.
Although he had a few brief moments of success in the final round, Chimaev quickly regained control. ‘Borz’ earned a unanimous decision win to become the new UFC middleweight champion. All three judges scored the bout 50-44 in his favor.
In a recent episode of MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker took aim at fans who criticized the main event and Chimaev’s performance. He praised ‘Borz’s wrestling and control against a fighter of du Plessis’ caliber, especially in a title fight.
“Anyone that say it’s a boring fight is a casual,” Whittaker said. “If you’re a fan of the sport and you’re not fascinated by Chimaev’s ability to control someone as dogged as Dricus [du Plessis], who’s gotten out of things time and time again, who physically never gasses, super strong…If you’re not fascinated by such one-sided domination, then you have to be a casual.”
Robert Whittaker Impressed by Khamzat Chimaev’s Dominance
Whittaker was highly impressed by Chimaev’s ability to dominate du Plessis from start to finish. Many fans expected a tightly contested battle, especially after ‘Stillknocks’ improvements. However, ‘Borz’ proved to be on another level.
During his podcast episode, Whittaker explained why Chimaev’s performance was so extraordinary. He emphasized that fights like this, where the challenger is a lot more dominant than the champion are rare.
Whittaker believes Chimaev’s grappling control deserves more credit.
“You never see this. This level, at championship fights,” Whittaker said. “This level of control—we just saw someone get crucifixed for 15 minutes. How can you be a fan of the sport and not think, wow, that’s crazy.”
He continued:
“It’s not like one dude was just taking him down to wait, [Chimaev’s] been doing this from the first 20 seconds of the fight.”
Whittaker Praises du Plessis’ Toughness at UFC 319
While Whittaker was quick to defend Chimaev, he also acknowledged the toughness of du Plessis. Despite being overwhelmed for most of the fight, ‘Stillknocks’ never gave up. His resilience was clear in the corner and throughout the fight.
Whittaker pointed out that du Plessis kept fighting until the end. He was clearly being shut out on the scorecards, but remained confident that he could bounce back.
“Props to Dricus, guy was fighting,” Whittaker said. “[du Plessis] never gave up on himself. You can hear it in the corner, you see it in that 5th round.”
Although du Plessis landed a few strikes and even scored a takedown, Chimaev quickly regained control each time. Given the one-sided nature of the fight, ‘Stillknocks’ likely needs to string together a few wins to earn another title shot.
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