antonio smith he thinks Khamzat Chimaev is unbeatable – if the fight continues in the first round.
Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) faces Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) in a middleweight title eliminator that will headline UFC on ABC 6 on June 22 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Chimaev is still undefeated, but hasn’t looked as dominant lately. He started well in recent wins over Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, but slowed down as the fight progressed. Smith says in the first five minutes of a fight he would outwork Chimaev over anyone.
“I believe in Khamzat very much, I really do,” Smith said in his “Believe in yourself” podcast with Michael Bisping. “I think the guy is incredible. But if we’re just being critical, first round. I think Khamzat can beat anyone in any weight class, I don’t give a shit who it is.
“Anyone in the world can win in the first round. We start to get into the second, third, fourth, fifth – the Gilbert Burns fight is a perfect example. If this fight goes two more rounds, (he would be in trouble). …Round one, monster.”
However, Smith isn’t too sure about Chimaev’s chances against former champion Whittaker in what will be the first five-round fight of his career.
“Whittaker doesn’t get tired and that’s my sticking point,” Smith said. “If he can do a lot of damage early in the first round, in the second round, and kind of commit Whittaker early, then I think he can sail through. If he walks early, now he is not the Khamzat we are used to. It’s not that effective. So I don’t know. I hate to say it, but I support Whittaker.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC on ABC 6.
