Max Holloway predicts Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308

BMF titleholder Max Holloway has an interesting prediction for how the UFC 308 co-main event will play out between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev.

Holloway will face UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. He returns to the featherweight division after knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April.

In a fight before Holloway makes the walk to the Octagon, middleweights Whittaker and Chimaev are sure to entertain fans. The Whittaker vs. Chimaev winner could potentially earn a title shot.

While Holloway vs. Topuria is the main attraction at UFC 308, Whittaker vs. Chimaev is arguably the second-toughest fight to predict. But, that didn’t stop Holloway from weighing in.

Max Holloway picks Robert Whittaker to stop Khamzat Chimaev’s rise

In a recent appearance on the MightyCast podcast, Holloway picked Whittaker to defeat Chimaev in the UFC 308 co-main event.

“I think Robert Whittaker is a beast,” Holloway said of Whittaker. “His IQ is high, he’s smart…I’m rolling with Robert Whittaker all the way. Even if you watch the Kamaru Usman fight against Khamzat…when Kamaru wrestled back with him, that’s how Kamaru lost. When Kamaru decided to be like ‘I’m not going to wrestle this motherf***er, I’m going to 2 and 1 him with the hands, push his head to the ground and not wrestle back’…control, hand fighting and get away, push him off, he actually got away…

“So one of the best guys that can hand fight and can wrestle, is Robert Whittaker, just because his striking is so damn good and that’s what he does,” Holloway continued. “It’s a five-rounder…we’ve seen Khamzat get tired in three rounds, he should be training for five rounds, we all know. But it’s still his first one. Robert’s been fighting five rounds forever, that guy is just a vet. A legend, an OG of the sport. I think if he goes out there with that anti-wrestling mindset and doesn’t get held down too much, I think he can land something [big].”

Whittaker and Chimaev were supposed to square off at UFC Saudi Arabia this summer. But, Chimaev withdrew on days’ notice due to an illness.

Whittaker most recently finished Ikram Aliskerov at UFC Saudi Arabia. Chimaev hasn’t competed since a middleweight win against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.

Holloway is locked in on his upcoming task against Topuria, but he’s equally intrigued by the UFC 308 co-main event between two of the sport’s top stars.