Robert Whittaker, the ever-gracious former middleweight champion, has just shown why he is one of the most respected figures in the sport. Following his brutal loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, ‘The Reaper’ addressed his fans with characteristic class and humor, and this was even with a newly rearranged dental configuration.
The fight itself lasted just over 3 minutes, but the aftermath had fans worldwide concerned about Whittaker’s well-being. While social media exploded with shocking images of his dental disaster, ‘The Reaper‘ kept his cool and his sense of humor. He broke his silence after the brutal injury in an Instagram post.
“Thank you everyone for all the love and support. It’s a tough gig sometimes but that’s the business. Big congratulations to Khamzat, he was the better man tonight and that’s all there is to it…My jaw is good, but my teeth were moved in. It’s a good excuse to fix them properly now haha.”
Robert Whittaker clarified that his jaw remained intact, though his teeth decided a new arrangement. But if anyone can find a silver lining, it’s ‘Bobby Knuckles.’ He even joked that this might be the perfect excuse to finally get that dental work he’d been putting off.
The 33-year-old veteran isn’t letting this setback define his future either. While some fighters might need extended time to recover from such a loss, Robert Whittaker is already talking about his return. And as time has witnessed, he has come back stronger after every setback he has faced.
Khamzat Chimaev reveals He Heard Something “Click” As He Cranked Robert Whittaker’s Jaw
At UFC 308, Chimaev’s submission of Robert Whittaker took an unexpectedly crunchy turn. The undefeated phenom, who’s been steamrolling through the UFC’s roster like a freight train through tissue paper, found himself playing dentist in Abu Dhabi against the former champion.
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During his post-fight press conference, Chimaev revealed that the moment had an unexpected twist. While attempting to secure what he thought would be a standard rear naked choke or a face crank, he heard something that definitely wasn’t in the game plan: a distinct “click.”
“Before I come in here they showed it to me, but I felt something was wrong with his chin when I pushed it. So I feel bad for that. I didn’t mean to break somebody’s chin…I wasn’t trying to break his jaw in any way. It just happened that I went for a choke, and I heard something click. I thought I was taking his neck, but I guess I broke the jaw.”
Despite his fearsome reputation and usually intimidating demeanor, Khamzat Chimaev expressed sincere regret about the damage he caused. For now, Robert Whittaker will take some time off. Meanwhile, ‘Borz’ cemented himself as a solid contender for the middleweight title.
