UFC Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker suffered a devastating loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 309. The fighter not only lost his title but also suffered a jaw injury that led to his mouth getting wired shut for some time.
Whittaker will always remember the UFC 309 bout with Chimaev as it was a night when he faced a crushing setback. The fight was a slugfest with both fighters going at it with head shots, but Chimaev soon scored a headlock that led to a bleeding in Whittaker’s gum.
Fans and audiences believe the fighter suffered a fracture in his jaw, but Whittaker claims the injury happened as a cumulation of injuries sustained in the past. “The Reaper” revealed he has had years of longstanding oral issues, and his recent fight with Chimaev must have aggravated it.
“I’ve always kind of had bad bottom teeth,” Whittaker said. “I’ve had missing teeth for 10 years plus. So I’ve always been kind of shot because they’re not stable. They’re not a full circuit. They’re like half. Over the years, trauma, whatever, I don’t know. It was something that needed to be addressed by every dentist, and it was always, ‘Try to keep your real teeth. Keep your real teeth.’ I should’ve got rid of them years ago.
“But the Dricus [du Plessis] fight… they got pushed in a little bit when I fought Dricus. I had to address that. They had to be pushed back. I had a cast in there, let them settle, yada yada yada, move on. Then, when I fought Ikram [Aliskerov], I had all these infections. I had to get four root canals. And I think the teeth had just had it. I think they had just had enough. Enough is enough. [Laughs]. I don’t think there was anything holding the teeth there anymore.
“But anyway, his forearm goes straight across the bottom teeth, and they move straight away. Then, the squeeze after it, they were gone. They just went straight back in. Everyone and their friend saw the photos. …
“My teeth just went straight in, and I couldn’t fight out of it. I could feel my teeth in the middle of my mouth. I was done. And hats off to Chimaev. Guy had a plan, went in there, executed it for whatever reason, and got the W. It’s upsetting. I don’t like losing like that, but it is what it is.”
The fighter disclosed that due to years of battling these issues, he has had to remove his lower teeth. Since this procedure, Whittaker has been able to manage this problem and has avoided any strenuous activity in his mouth until his encounter with Chimaev.
According to reports, Whittaker is doing better now andrevealed that he is back in the gym. He says he doesn’t see himself stepping into the octagaon anytime spoon and plans to take some time off to spend time with his family before his return in 2025.
“I’m going to give a bit of time. I’m not going to rush into the next fight, because there are some things I want to address,” Whittaker said “… I’m probably looking to return in June. June-ish? End of May? I don’t know. We’ll play with the dates next year. …”
“I’m 34 in December,’ Whittaker continued. “I still have, I feel like some tricks up my sleeve. I still have some goals that I want to hit. Like I said, I am building some new skills. But that’s just how I look at things. Every obstacle and setback just makes me stronger, it makes the comeback better. I’m looking forward to getting back in there. I’m enjoying training. I’m excited for the next, what I could be.”
Prior to hie UFC 308 defeat, Whittaker has had a good run in retaining his title with his fighta against Chimaev being his third title defense. The fighter was ssuccessfully able to defend the belt from Ikram Aliskerov and Paulo Costa but he finally met his match when he met Chimaev and lost the title.
