Robert Whittaker Predicts Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes BMF

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Robert Whittaker Charles Oliveira Diego Lopes

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker shared his prediction for the upcoming BMF fight between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes.

Oliveira puts his UFC BMF title on the line in the main event of UFC 335, which takes place on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While Oliveira is the betting favorite, Whittaker thinks Lopes has a really good chance to win the fight and claim the BMF title.

Robert Whittaker Backs Diego Lopes Against Charles Oliveira

Speaking on the “The MMArcade Podcast,” Whittaker explained why he’s backing Lopes to beat Oliveira.

“I love this fight, especially for Diego Lopes. I think he gets it done. I love Charles Oliveira like everybody else, but I don’t think Charles will have the ground superiority that he always has. And if it comes to toughness, guts, and walking people down, Lopes has to be the favorite for that,” Whittaker said (via MMAjunkie.com).

Robert Whittaker Says Diego Lopes Has the Style Max Holloway Didn’t

At UFC 326, Oliveira dominated Max Holloway with his ground game to win the BMF title.

But Holloway doesn’t have the ground game that Lopes does, and that’s why Whittaker likes Lopes to beat Oliveira.

“I think what Diego Lopes has that Max didn’t is Diego Lopes has a bottom offensive jiu-jitsu game. That changes a lot of things. I never thought Max was going to get off the ground if he gets placed on his back. I thought the fight was going to happen on his feet, in the scrambles, in the transition, up against the fence, pushing away – that hemisphere,” Whittaker said.

“Once Max’s back was on the mat, I thought that’s that round, and we’ll go to the next one, start again. Lopes, obviously he’s got his guillotine you’ve got to be aware of. It’s there. But I think offensively he’s dangerous enough to create openings to get back to his feet because physically he is huge. He is very strong. I think if Charles isn’t having his way on the ground, and it becomes a slugfest, Lopes is a slugfest-loving guy. He’s built for it.”