Injuries, weight-cutting issues and inactivity had restricted Khamzat Chimaev to just two fights in the past two years and slowed the momentum of the UFC’s biggest hype train.
But the undefeated Russian has exploded back onto the scene in emphatic fashion, positioning himself for a potential shot at the middleweight champion after defeating Robert Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-main event.
Whittaker looked to have fallen out of the middleweight title picture after a second-round TKO loss to current champion Dricus du Plessis, only to storm back into contention with two-straight wins this year.
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But he was no match for Chimaev on Sunday, with Chimaev securing what Jon Anik described in commentary as “one of the most violent submissions” the UFC has seen.
It was the first time Whittaker had been submitted in his career and came in sudden fashion, with the Australian seemingly handling the early adversity well after Chimaev took him down.
But a face crank forced Whittaker to tap quickly, with Chimaev telling Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier after the fight that he heard the Australian’s jaw crack.
“Holy cow. I think he messed up his jaw,” Cormier said in commentary.
“That is amazing he did that do Rob Whittaker. Holy smokes.”
Cormier later shared a graphic photo of Whittaker’s jaw in the aftermath of the fight.
The win left no doubt Chimaev should be next in line for a title shot against champion Dricus du Plessis, although speaking with Main Event’s Niko Pajarillo this week, UFC boss Dana White poured cold water over that idea.
“I don’t know about that,” White said when asked if the winner would pass Sean Strickland in the queue for the next shot.
“To talk about jumping guys in the line right now, let’s see how the fight plays out.
“We gotta see how it plays out before we start talking about jumping lines, who would get the next title shot.
“But in this division, this is the baddest fight you could possibly make right now. So whoever wins, it’s a good thing for them.”
Obviously Chimaev did it in such emphatic fashion that White may have no choice.
“No one wants to fight with me. All the champions are running from me,” Chimaev said after the fight.
“Dana, what’s wrong with the UFC man? Give me the belt.”
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