Robert Whittaker Reflects on Loss to Khamzat Chimaev: "My teeth gave out"

Robert Whittaker took the time to open up about the tough loss faced against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 that caused him a serious amount of pain including a broken jaw and damaged teeth. The much-anticipated matchup between the two standouts was stopped in the first round when Chimaev locked in a solid rear naked choke submission.  

Robert Whittaker just panic tapped to Khamzat Chimaev #UFC308 pic.twitter.com/cuXiLtKFIH

This fight proved the stellar grappling of Chimaev and his brute strength that overwhelmed Whittaker from the start. Chimaev’s attack, pressure, and strength exposed Whittaker’s back to the danger man, and in no time he was forced to tap out early in the fight. During a recent interview Whittaker, explained how he too was astounded by Chimaev’s grappling prowess. Here’s a little of what he said about the bitter loss at the MMA Arcade podcast: 

“Within seconds of the fight starting, I felt real comfortable standing with him, like real comfortable,” Whittaker said as quoted by mmajunkie.usatoday.com. “Then the dude drops to like a millimeter. How do you stop that takedown? We did a lot of wrestling, we did a lot of wall work, but it’s so hard to replicate that sort of takedown, that sort of commitment. Props to him. Guy knows his strength and played into them to a tee and is willing to burn it all there for it”. 

Apart from the loss, Whittaker had to endure his way back to the cage, undergoing dental surgery to fix his face that was damaged while fighting Chimaev. The result turned out to be a bitter pill to swallow for Robert and his followers, but the fight showed Chimaev at his best, an active fighter who starts to rise as a contender for a championship. 

Robert Whittaker on the injury faced  

The former champ recently took the time to open up a little on the injury faced. 

“Obviously it happens, we transition, then he puts his forearm across my face for the face crank,” Whittaker said, as quoted by mmajunkie.usatoday.com. “It was just picture perfect, landed square between my chin and my lip. It hits right there and instantly my teeth gave out. Obviously the squeezing after didn’t help, but they just gave out”. 

Despite the physical and mental toll of the fight he intends to get back into the Octagon and reestablish himself as one of the premier middleweight fighters in the world. The loss is also a reminder to the current contenders about how volatile MMA can be at the top-tier. Meanwhile, the former champion has proven his good resilience and commitment to doing better which means that his journey in the world of MMA is far from done. The loss is as useful as a stepping stone that can be used for a solid comeback.