Robert Whittaker gets brutally honest about what surprised him the most against Khamzat Chimaev: "Thought I'd have more time, did not"

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker discussed his fight with Khamzat Chimaev, expressing surprise at Chimaev's quick attack. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Whittaker said he thought he had more time before the takedown but soon realized that he didn't.

The fight took place on Oct. 26, 2024, at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He explained how Chimaev wasted no time to execute a rapid takedown that caught him off guard. Chimaev drove Whittaker to the cage and secured a face crank submission at 3:34 in the first round, leading to Whittaker's immediate tap-out.

Reflecting on the match, Whittaker said,

"It was the initial takedown, I guess, that surprised the most... The guy shot from like two meters away and was, honestly, a foot off the ground. It's hard to defend."

Check out Ariel Helwani’s post on X:

The submission maneuver resulted in significant dental damage for Whittaker, displacing his bottom teeth.

Despite the severity of the injury, Whittaker provided a positive health update, stating,

"Yeah, I’m good. I’m good."

He further explained,

"The healing process was much faster than I think everybody expected. Just because I was sick of those teeth anyway. I just got rid of them, got some implants, and the healing process was really quick. It was seamless, and I was back in the gym four weeks after."

Here's Helwani's post on X, sharing Whittaker's update on his recovery:

Another moment was captured by Ariel Helwani on this podcast, as Whittaker candidly expressed his disappointment toward Daniel Cormier for sharing photos of his mouth injury on social media.

He voiced his annoyance, saying:

"I was super annoyed. It’s such a scummy thing to do. It’s like, the doctor took a photo of my mouth and said he was going to go show Dana [White]. So, that he knows what’s up. I thought, ‘Cool, do that'. DC took a photo off the other guy’s phone to post all of his socials."

Check Whittaker's comment below, as posted by Helwani:

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Robert Whittaker's take on Chimaev's grappling game ahead of Russian's title shot

Robert Whittaker believes Chimaev's grappling skills might pose a significant challenge for either Dricus Du Plessis or Sean Strickland, who are set to fight at UFC 312 on Feb. 8, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. Whittaker, after he suffered a first-round submission loss to Chimaev at UFC 308, shared his thoughts on the upcoming middleweight title bout.

Reflecting on his own experience, Whittaker highlighted Chimaev's exceptional takedown ability. He remarked,

"The way he shoots that first shot is crazy. How do you stop that dude? Jump over him?"

Here’s what Robert Whittaker commented, as posted by freak.mma on Instagram:

Chimaev's dominant victory over Robert Whittaker has given him recognition as a formidable contender in the UFC’s middleweight division. His performance has led to discussions about his potential matchup with the winner of the Du Plessis vs. Strickland fight.

UFC CEO, Dana White has confirmed that Chimaev will receive the next title shot following UFC 312. This decision sets the stage for an exciting championship bout later in 2025.

Check out White’s response during the post-fight conference at UFC 311: