Robert Whittaker, after losing to Khamzat Chimaev via submission at UFC 308 due to a pre-existing dental issue, expressed determination to return stronger and thanked fans for their support.
Robert Whittaker wants fans to know you haven’t seen the last of him. After a tough night at UFC 308, where Khamzat Chimaev crushed his jaw in a brutal submission, he’s not backing down. It’s only the second time in his storied career that he’s tapped out, and the first since 2011—way before his UFC stardom.
Following the fight, Whittaker took to Instagram to share his thoughts. “It’s a tough gig sometimes but that’s the business,” he wrote. He gave props to Chimaev, acknowledging him as the better fighter that night. Despite feeling ready and on point, things didn’t go his way.
“My jaw is good,” he mentioned, “but my teeth were moved in.” A silver lining? An excuse to finally get them fixed properly! Disappointment aside, Whittaker vows to come back stronger from every setback. This one’s no different.
Before facing Chimaev, Whittaker was gunning for another shot at the middleweight title. He had been riding high on a two-fight win streak with impressive wins over Ikram Aliskerov and Paulo Costa. Now, at 33, it’s back to the drawing board—and some serious downtime for recovery.
In a candid chat with Red Corner MMA, Whittaker revealed an unexpected twist: it wasn’t just about the jaw. The submission exposed an old issue with his teeth. Turns out, that’s why he tapped so quickly—not because of a dislocated jaw.
“It wasn’t the jaw. It was the teeth,” he explained. His bottom tooth bore the brunt of Chimaev’s forearm during the face crank. No time to react; it was game over instantly. Whittaker admitted his teeth have always been a bit loose—a lingering problem from an old injury when he was young.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time his teeth got pushed in during a fight. It happened with Dricus du Plessis too. They never quite recovered from that bout either. But hey, life throws curveballs sometimes!