Khamzat Chimaev had long circled a title shot, with the biggest question being whether it would come at welterweight or middleweight. At UFC 308 on Saturday, against ex-185lb champ Robert Whittaker, “Borz” had a chance to secure just that.
Yes, Sean Strickland was next in line, and the UFC had seemingly cooled on Chimaev, mainly because of his inactive schedule. Illness had been his biggest foe in recent years, but an explosive finish could propel either man to “next in line” status. The possibility that they might jump ahead of Strickland was very real as well.
Whittaker opened with a low kick, while Chimaev fanned on a front kick. Chimaev then drove in, exploding into a takedown, and trapped Whittaker on the fence. One hook in, Chimaev threatened to take the back. In tight against the cage, that was a difficult task. Chimaev briefly had the back, but couldn’t hold it. Instead, he stayed on Whittaker like a wet blanket. Eventually Whittaker found himself fighting off a rear-naked choke on his back, with the crowd deafening, but the ex-champ freed himself. What he couldn’t do for the first half-round was get back to his feet. And soon, he was fighting off another choke, with Chimaev briefly on his back again.
All domination from Khamzat Chimaev early, and then came the finish. He got a choke in, Chimaev flattened him out, and Whittaker quickly tapped! The biggest win of Chimaev’s career, complete dominance of a former champ. Whittaker later indicated he may have suffered a dislocated jaw; regardless, Khamzat gets full marks for an incredible performance.
After the fight, Chimaev thanked Whittaker for taking the fight, claiming “all the champions are running from me.”
Official Result: Khamzat Chimaev def. Robert Whittaker by submission (face crank), Round 1, 3:34
