UFC 308 took place on Saturday at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, and it was a night to remember for fans. The fight featured some of the most thrilling fights, including a fiery battle between former middleweight fighter Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event.
The fight began with a quick exchange between Chimaev and Whittaker. The Russian fighter soon grabbed Whittaker and scored a quick takedown before putting him in a grappling lock. He took the fight to the canvas and tightened his grip until Whittaker tapped out in submission. The bout ended in the early minutes of the first round, with Whittaker suffering a dislocated jaw.
“I’m going for the belt,” Chimaev said after his latest win. “Thanks, Robert, I love you, my brother. You’re a legend. No one wants to fight with me. All the champions are running from me. Give me the belt!”I feel his chin was almost broken,” Chimaev said.
Whittaker’s loss was tough, but the fighter remains undeterred. He released a statement shortly after his loss.
“It’s a tough gig sometimes, but that’s the business,” Whittaker wrote. “Big congratulations to Khamzat, he was the better man tonight, and that’s all there is to it. I felt great, everything was on point, and I was ready. My jaw is good, but my teeth were moved in. It’s a good excuse to fix them properly now. I’m disappointed, but I come back better from every setback and every challenge so this is no different.
“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. I felt great, everything was on point, and I was ready. My jaw is good, but my teeth were moved in. It’s a good excuse to fix them properly now, haha. I’m disappointed, but I come back better from every setback and every challenge so this is no different. I want to thank my team and everyone who supported me to get here. Time to go spend time with the family for a bit. Be back soon..”
Whittaker revealed his reason for tapping out in an interview with Red Corner MMA. He spoke about his past struggle with his teeth and cleared the air on the news of Chimaev dislocating his jaw.
“It wasn’t the jaw. It was the teeth,” Whittaker said. “The teeth got pushed in. I’ve kind of always had loose teeth, and they got looser. It was the face crank. His forearm went straight on the bottom tooth. I didn’t even have a moment to turn my head or anything. It was on. It is what it is.
“I had them pushed in before when I fought Dricus [du Plessis] as well and they’ve never really recovered. It was from an injury when I was young.”
