'It's my Achilles heel'…Robert Whittaker claims Khamzat Chimaev benefitted from long-standing injury at UFC 308
10/27/2024 03:26 PM
There’s more to the story regarding Robert Whittaker’s mouth injury he suffered against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308.
Whittaker lost to Chimaev by first-round submission at UFC 308 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. After a competitive first few minutes of the fight, Chimaev sunk in a face-crank that forced Whittaker to quickly tap.
Hasbulla and other fans were left stunned by Chimaev’s quick finish of Whittaker at UFC 308. Following the event, it was revealed that Whittaker suffered a serious mouth injury in the final sequence when Chimaev secured the face-crank.
Gruesome images of Whittaker’s injury made headlines after the fight. But, this is something that Whittaker has dealt with since he was a child.
Robert Whittaker reveals lifelong problems with his teeth after UFC 308 injury
Whittaker detailed his exposed mouth in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA.
“I’m alright. It wasn’t the jaw, it was the teeth, teeth got pushed in,” Whittaker said. “I’ve always had loose teeth, and they got looser. It is what it is, it’s not always glamorous in this job. But I get to go home and congratulations to Chimaev, tough guy, a lot of respect for me. I have a lot of respect for him, but on to better things.
“His forearms were straight on the bottom [teeth],” Whittaker continued. “I didn’t have a moment to turn my head or anything…they’re vulnerable, it’s my Achilles heel. I’ve had them pushed in before when I fought Dricus [Du Plessis] as well, and I’ve never fully recovered. It’s from an injury when I was young.”
A timetable for Whittaker’s return is uncertain as of this writing. He’s expected to have dental surgery completed in the coming days.
Robert Whittaker’s title pursuit stalls after UFC 308 loss to Khamzat Chimaev
Whittaker’s admissions are remarkable, given the success he’s had to date in his UFC career. He’s defeated the likes of Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, and Yoel Romero with long-term mouth issues.
The loss to Chimaev snapped Whittaker’s two-fight winning streak, including a knockout win over Ikram Aliskerov at UFC Saudi Arabia. Chimaev remains undefeated with the win over Whittaker and could potentially challenge Dricus du Plessis next for the middleweight title.
Whittaker will look to continue to push forward in hopes of securing another UFC middleweight title shot down the line. The former titleholder hasn’t fought for the belt since a unanimous decision loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 271.
