UFC 308 was sad in more ways than one to many fans. First was watching Max Holloway go down, literally, at the hands of Ilia Topuria. The second was watching Robert Whittaker suffer a brutal injury at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev‘s rear-naked choke submission attempt. ‘Attempt’ because the choke was barely in before ‘The Reaper’ tapped, accounting for the fastest tap to a submission in UFC history.

At first, fans and analysts were surprised as to why a fighter of Whittaker’s caliber gave up so early. However, after the fight, it was revealed that the former champion had his bottom three teeth broken and pushed inwards, which forced him to tap out. Known for having a kind heart despite being a terrifying force of nature, Chimaev is happy with the victory but he feels for Whittaker, as an injury so serious puts a fighter out of commission for a long time.

Khamzat Chimaev wanted to meet Robert Whittaker after their fight at UFC 308

Stepping into the UFC Octagon is not just a test of skill and strategy but a brutal trial of physical endurance. Every punch, kick, and takedown comes with the potential for injury, and for fighters, pain is an ever-present reality of the sport. The glamour of fight night often overshadows the grueling sacrifices these athletes make, but injuries are an undeniable part of their journey. One such fighter is Robert Whittaker who faced a massive setback and broke his jaw in his last fight.

At the UFC 308 press conference, ‘Bobby Knuckles’ pointed out that he first broke his jaw when he was 19 years old. Whittaker said, “Yeah, funny story. When I was 19, I broke my jaw and shattered all my teeth.” On the other hand, Chimaev who impressed one and all with his performance seemed a bit dejected with the injury. ‘Borz’ during a recent conversation on the ‘Hustle’ podcast looked back at that moment with some sadness in his eyes. Home Of Fight shared the video on their X account where ‘Borz’ said, “In the fight, I already knew that something was broken. I heard something crunch. I felt sorry for the guy. Now he needs to be repaired.” 

The host then enquired whether he had gone to meet the former champion after his injury. Chimaev replied that he wanted to but couldn’t find him. He said, “No, I didn’t see him but I wanted to. My team tried to find him. We wanted to shake his hand but we couldn’t find him.” According to reports, Whittaker has undergone surgery and will return to fighting in June 2025. The fans will be eager to see the former champion return to action and knock out people for fun.

Watching the fight closely at UFC 308 was current middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. ‘Stillknocks’ was highly impressed with Chimaev’s performance is hoping ‘Borz’ is his next opponent. However, while the South African fighter was impressed with Chimaev’s performance, he wasn’t shocked by the outcome of the Chechen fighter’s submission attempt on Whittaker.

Dricus du Plessis points out the real reason for Whittaker’s injury at UFC 308

In an interview with Submission Radio, ‘Stillknocks’ revealed that it was he who first pushed ‘The Reaper’s teeth inside and not Khamzat Chimaev. “I am the one that crushed Robert’s teeth. I didn’t even know it. Rob said it, I didn’t know it and I thought ‘Geez that s**ks. But Rob is the one who made that known that it was actually in our fight where he got for the first time.”.

Fast forward three fights later, the former champion found himself in the same situation which hampered his chance of re-winning the fight. However, according to the South African national, Whittaker made the wrong decision of fighting this soon despite being injured. Du Plessis suggested that it would have been better if the former champion had taken some rest and returned to full fitness before taking the next fight.

“Obviously, Rob had those problems [breaking his teeth at UFC 290], and he was fighting – he was active after that fight,”. Du Plessis further added, “He fought two times, and he was in camp the whole time, so I think that was the problem. He didn’t get enough time to really recover.” As Whittaker now begins the long road to recovery, the fight at UFC 308 stands as a testament to his warrior spirit. Competing with a broken jaw against a top-tier opponent like Chimaev showcased his unyielding determination, leaving fans inspired and eager to see “The Reaper” return stronger than ever.

When do you think will Robert Whittaker return to action next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.