Whittaker: Chimaev 'dodged a bullet' at UFC Saudi Arabia

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is confident he would've beaten Khamzat Chimaev in similar fashion to Ikram Aliskerov.

Whittaker was scheduled to face Chimaev in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event last weekend, but Chimaev pulled out nine days before the card due to an illness.

Whittaker went on to knock out Aliskerov in brutal fashion less than two minutes into their short-notice fight.

"I was pretty primed and ready," Whittaker said on "The MMA Hour" on Wednesday. "I am 99% sure I would've starched Khamzat as well. Our paths may cross one day in the division, as guys in the top of the game. But he dodged a bullet that night. That's for sure."

Following the victory over Aliskerov, Whittaker is firmly entrenched in the 185-pound title conversation and as close as he's been to another crack at the belt since challenging Israel Adesanya in 2021. However, with current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis scheduled to defend the title against Adesanya at UFC 305 on Aug. 17, it remains unclear what comes next for Whittaker.

The Australian said earlier Wednesday he wants to return to the Octagon in the fourth quarter of the year.