Robert Whittaker may have expected Khamzat Chimaev to bring it to him at UFC 308 and even had two full camps to prepare for the fight. However, the Chechnya-born undefeated star’s wrestling proved too much to handle for ‘The Reaper’. When Chimaev got hold of the Aussie star for a choke, he squeezed in so hard that Whittaker got his teeth caved in as he was left bleeding from his mouth. Chimaev’s wrestling has always been the biggest weapon he has, so is there a way to tackle those skills? Well, Whittaker has a simple solution to that.

During a recent edition of his YouTube ‘MMArcade Podcast’, the Aussie ace revealed that the first takedown attempt that Chimaev makes during a fight is always a real “problem” for anybody who steps inside the cage with him. But when a fan asked him about the way to prevent Chimaev’s takedown, he stated in a light-hearted manner that fighters should just try hopping over him to avoid getting pinned down. “Stopping that first takedown was crazy. That way he shoots in that – that first shot – is crazy. ‘How do you stop that, dude?’ Jump over him [chuckles],” Bobby Knuckles said.

On a more serious note, Whittaker mentioned a few weeks ago that he could have done better to put up a better fight against Chimaev. However, he also shared that there’s hardly anything that can prepare someone for the kind of takedown ‘Borz’ shoots during a fight.

Robert Whittaker claims Chimaev’s takedown is extremely “hard to replicate”

The confidence Robert Whittaker showed before his fight against the Chechen wolf stemmed from the fact that in his two camps, he wrestled as much as he could to prepare for any kind of circumstances against ‘Borz’. But the Aussie star claims that Chimaev’s style of shooting for takedowns is just unique, and nobody can be ready for the kind of intensity he brings in trying to secure a successful takedown. Whittaker claims ‘Borz’ just doesn’t let go of his opponents easily as he fully commits himself to it.

“How do you stop that takedown? We did a lot of wrestling, we did a lot of wall work, but it’s so hard to replicate that sort of takedown, that sort of commitment,” Robert Whittaker stated on his podcast in November. “Props to him. Guy knows his strength and played into them to a tee and is willing to burn it all there for it.”

Robert Whittaker’s path towards UFC glory for the second may have hit an obstacle, but ‘The Reaper’s looking to come back strong. Can he become a champion again? That is something to be seen in the future. In the meantime, let us know if you think Whittaker’s suggestion of a simple jumping tactic can work on someone like the wrecking machine that is Khamzat Chimaev.