Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 308 co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi (pay-per-view, ESPN+ ). When asked if he thinks he could stand with Whittaker, Chimaev said he doesn’t see the fight playing out there.

Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway collide for the UFC featherweight championship on Saturday. It's among the best fights booked in mixed martial arts this year, buoyed by a strong undercard. Topuria defends the UFC featherweight title against former 145-pound champ and reigning BMF titleholder Holloway atop the marquee.

Meanwhile, Whittaker has competed six times during that same run, going 4-2 in the process. Originally, ‘The Reaper’ was set to fight Chimaev at UFC Saudi Arabia in June, but ‘Borz’ bowed out of the bout with less than two weeks to go until fight night. Instead, Whittaker went on to score a first-round knockout against Ikram Aliskerov.