As UFC 328 approaches, the MMA world is buzzing with anticipation for the main event clash between undefeated champion Khamzat Chimaev and former middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland. While some analysts and fighters—including Joe Rogan and Jorge Masvidal—believe Strickland has what it takes to challenge Chimaev, one former champion who has shared the Octagon with "Borz" has a very different prediction.

Robert Whittaker, a former middleweight champion, isn't buying into the hype around Strickland's chances. And his opinion carries serious weight—after all, he was thoroughly dominated by Chimaev in their encounter, leaving the Octagon with more than just a loss on his record (his bottom row of teeth was pushed in).

"The thing is, you can prepare and expect for things as much as you want, but all the preparation we did didn't matter—he was just better than the preparation," Whittaker told UFC on Paramount+. "His ability to stick to you, to control positions, to move into another position once he got his hands on you was next level."

The former champion pointed to Chimaev's recent five-round war with Dricus Du Plessis as evidence of his evolution. "Dricus is a hard guy to hold down—he's a big, strong man—and the way Chimaev handled him, extended his cardio over five rounds, and kept making adjustments efficiently without gassing himself early was impressive."

Whittaker acknowledged that Chimaev's cardio was once considered a potential weakness, especially after he invested heavily in wrestling during early rounds. "You know, investing so heavily into his wrestling in round one and then slowing down in the later rounds—for him to have closed that gap and made those adjustments... We prepped as well as anybody else could, and I'm sure Dricus prepped as well as anybody else could. It's just his level is to be respected. It is."

Strickland and Chimaev have trained together in the past, giving the former champion some insight into what awaits him on Saturday night. But Whittaker isn't convinced that familiarity will make a difference.

"He talks a big game. He almost convinces me that he can do it," Whittaker admitted. "But having been in there with Chimaev, having seen what he can do once he gets his hands on you—and he will, because he shoots from so far away and commits wholeheartedly—it's what happens after that matters."

For fans looking to gear up for fight night, this weekend's main event promises to be a defining moment in the middleweight division. Whether Strickland can prove the doubters wrong or Chimaev continues his relentless march through the division remains to be seen—but if Whittaker's prediction holds true, we might be witnessing another dominant performance from the undefeated champion.