UFC 308 turned out to be one of the company’s most action-packed pay-per-view events of the year with the main and co-main events both having decisive conclusions.
In the main event, Ilia Topuria became the first man ever to crack the granite chin of Max Holloway in a shocking TKO finish which saw him successfully defend his UFC featherweight title for the first time. However, despite the shock factor of Topuria’s victory over Holloway, fans are also shocked as to just how easily Khamzat Chimaev got the better of #3 ranked middleweight contender and former champion, Robert Whittaker.
Chimaev submitted the Australian in the first round of their scheduled five-round co-main event bout with what many fans originally thought was a standard rear naked choke submission attempt. Following the conclusion of the fight, though, it was revealed that Chimaev’s victorious submission was a jaw crank which resulted in a pretty gruesome injury for Whittaker. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier showed the full extent of the damage to the mouth of ‘The Reaper’ by showing a screenshot on his phone during the pay-per-view broadcast.
Khamzat Chimaev Completely Rearranged Robert Whittaker’s Jaw at UFC 308
Daniel Cormier showcased the shocking damage done to Whittaker’s jaw
As you can see above, Whittaker’s rapid tap was completely justified as he has been left with his jaw and teeth brutally rearranged despite being locked into the submission for just a matter of seconds. It also proves that Chimaev is one of the most dangerous – and powerful men – in the 185lb division.
Khamzat Chimaev Reacts to Brutal Robert Whittaker Injury
Chimaev claims he felt something was wrong with Whittaker’s jaw when he applied pressure
In his post-fight interview, Chimaev claimed that he felt something wrong with Whittaker’s jaw when he applied pressure to his submission, specifically saying he felt a click, immediately recognising the extent of the damage he had inflicted.
Having been out of the Octagon for more than a year due to health reasons, many were starting to question whether the unbeaten Chimaev would ever win again at the top level of the sport. On Saturday night, he extinguished those doubts in emphatic fashion. While he now looks towards a possible title shot at Dricus Du Plessis, Whittaker seems set for an extended period on the sidelines as a result of his painful injury.