Robert Whittaker drops significant update on scary-looking dental injury suffered at UFC 308: "It’s my Achilles heel"

Robert Whittaker has built a reputation as one of the most resilient fighters in the UFC through years of hard-fought battles inside the octagon. This reputation made his rapid tap-out to Khamzat Chimaev’s face crank attempt at UFC 308 all the more surprising to fans and MMA analysts.

Whittaker later clarified the nature of his injury, which wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. Several fans speculated that Chimaev broke his jaw, but the cause of his submission loss can be attributed to an ongoing dental problem.

His bottom teeth, which were compromised from past bouts and an injury in his youth, were pushed inward by Chimaev’s face crank, causing excruciating pain. With his rival’s forearm pressing directly on the area, the Australian had no time to adjust his head or ease the pressure, ultimately yielding to the submission attempt.

Despite the loss, Whittaker remains determined to bounce back from the setback. He sees this injury as a chance to address his dental issues, which he considers his "Achilles heel." Speaking in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, he said:

"I'm alright, it wasn't the jaw, it was the teeth. The teeth got pushed in. I've always had loose teeth, and they got looser. It was the face crank. His forearm went straight on the bottom tooth, I didn't have a moment to turn the head or anything."

He added:

"If I didn't have such vulnerable teeth maybe I would have had another second to turn my head. Or maybe not. I just got caught in a bad position and the rest is history. My bottom teeth... they’re vulnerable. It’s my Achilles heel. I’ve had them pushed in before when I fought Dricus [du Plessis], and they’ve never really recovered. It’s from an injury when I was young.”

Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below:

Check out the full interview below:

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Robert Whittaker releases statement following submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308

Robert Whittaker suffered a painful submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 that resulted in a jaw injury. This was Whittaker's second submission loss, with the last instance dating back to the triangle choke submission defeat against Kim Hoon in October 2011.

The 33-year-old holds a 3-3 record in the last six octagon outings. After the fight, Whittaker took to social media to assure fans he's determined to return stronger despite the setback. He acknowledged Chimaev's performance while expressing gratitude to his supporters and team. He wrote:

"Thank you everyone for all the love and support. It’s a tough gig sometimes but that’s the business. Big congratulations to Khamzat [Chimaev], 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."

Check out Robert Whittaker's statement below: