Chimaev: "I didn't want to fight Whittaker."

"I didn't want to fight Robert, but they gave me this fight. In general, I like to fight guys who don't like me. It makes me hungrier, more motivated, more angry to finish my opponent. And Rob is the guy I looked up to, I wanted to be like him. When I started my career, he was the champion. But it is what it is. I don't know what else to say. Thank you Rob for making me better," said Chimaev in an interview with UFC Brasil.

As a reminder, Chimaev finished Whittaker last weekend at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.