Robert Whittaker’s coach says Gilbert Burns provided the blueprint on how to beat Khamzat Chimaev

Robert Whittaker’s coach is saying Gilbert Burns provided the blueprint on how to beat Khamzat Chimaev.

Robert Whittaker (25-7 MMA) is slated to face Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA) in the middleweight main event on Saturday, June 22nd at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, rumors are now swirling that ‘Borz’ has been forced to withdraw from the contest.

‘The Reaper’ last fought and defeated Paulo Costa (14-4 MMA) this past February at UFC 298.

The undefeated Chimaev is coming off a majority decision victory over Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA) last October at UFC 294.

According to Robert Whittaker’s head coach, Alex Prates, he believes it was Gilbert Burns who offered up the blueprint on how to beat the unbeaten Chimaev.

Speaking with ‘Sherdog‘, Alex Prates advised:

“The two last fights, especially ‘Durinho,’ the Gilbert Burns fight, I need to thank him for the blueprint. I watched the fight so many times. I think he gave a very clear path to victory by starting hard, be very aggressive from the guard, be very aggressive standing.”

It was Gilbert Burns (22-7 MMA) who fought Chimaev in April of 2022 at UFC 273. Although Chimaev won that match by unanimous decision, Burns was agressive till the end.

Continuing Prates shared:

“In the fight with Kamaru Usman – and I’m sure Usman is thinking this now – if he could go back and start that fight at a higher pace, he would. This is the mistake that we don’t want to do at all. We’re going to start hard. He starts 100 percent, we start 110 percent.”

Concluding Prates gave his prediction as to who will come out the victor on the 22nd:

“When it becomes a dog fight, I don’t see anyone beating Robert in this division – anyone. But if I was a gambling man, which I’m not, third-round technical knockout, Robert Whittaker.”

Do you believe Robert Whittaker can hand Khamzat Chimaev his first loss in the Octagon if they do in fact collide at UFC Saudi Arabia?

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