Robert Whittaker has set the record straight about the injury he sustained in his submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, revealing that it was not his jaw that was broken, but his loose teeth that were pushed back during the fight.
In an interview with Red Corner MMA, Whittaker expressed his disappointment with the loss but reassured fans that his condition was not as severe as initially believed. Contrary to widespread speculation, the former UFC middleweight champion confirmed that it was the impact from Chimaev’s face crank, not a broken jaw, that caused the injury.
“It’s not the jaw, it was the teeth. The teeth got pushed in,” Whittaker explained. “I’ve always had loose teeth, and they just got looser. His forearm went straight onto the bottom tooth, and I didn’t have a chance to turn my head or do anything about it.”
Whittaker acknowledged that his vulnerable teeth have been an ongoing issue throughout his career. “The bottom teeth… they’re like my Achilles heel,” he said. “They’ve been pushed in before, like in my fight with Dricus [du Plessis] at UFC 290, and they’ve never really fully recovered. It’s an old injury from when I was young.”
Despite the injury, Whittaker assured that he’s fine and expressed respect for Chimaev, admitting that his opponent was simply the better fighter on that night. The loss ended Whittaker’s two-fight win streak and saw him fall in the UFC rankings, while Chimaev’s dominant performance likely earned him a spot in the Top 5 of the division.
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