Robert Whittaker knows exactly what it feels like to be on the wrong end of a Khamzat Chimaev onslaught—and he's not betting against it happening again.

This Saturday at UFC 328, the undefeated Chimaev steps into the Octagon with Sean Strickland in the main event at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. For Chimaev, it's another chance to prove he's the real deal. For Strickland, it's a shot at becoming a two-time UFC middleweight champion and pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the year.

So far, nobody has solved the puzzle that is Khamzat Chimaev. Not even Whittaker, who fell victim to that relentless mix of elite wrestling, raw power, and explosive athleticism. And when asked about Strickland's chances, the former champion didn't mince words.

"It depends," Whittaker said in a recent interview. "I think the game is still trying to work out the puzzle that is that Russian, Chechen-style wrestling. I think I have an answer in my head—not that I can do it—but the guys who will start giving trouble to those fighters are the really high-level back-jitsu guys."

Whittaker pointed to Gilbert Burns' fight with Chimaev as a blueprint of sorts. Burns survived because his offensive grappling was so dangerous that Chimaev couldn't just hold him down. The key, Whittaker explained, is having fighters who can work off their back and avoid getting stuck in that suffocating top pressure.

"We haven't seen it yet," he added. "Much like Burns, Chimaev wasn't able to just hold him down because of how dangerous his offensive grappling is. So I don't think the game has worked out that puzzle yet."

Whittaker drew a parallel to Merab Dvalishvili's dominant run before Petr Yan finally cracked the code. "How do you beat Merab? How do you stop that gas tank? And Petr did it to the highest extent. He ticked all the boxes and went in there and did it. So I guess we're just waiting for the shoe to fall."

As for Strickland? Whittaker admits the trash-talking contender almost has him convinced. "He talks a big game. He almost convinces me that he can do it. But having been in there with Chimaev and 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—he will get you."

With Chimaev's undefeated record on the line and Strickland looking to shock the world, Saturday night promises fireworks. But if Whittaker's prediction holds true, it might be another dominant night for "The Chechen Wolf."