Russian sports official Aslanbek Badaev explained to the possible cause of the injury suffered by Robert Whittaker during a fight with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308.
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was forced to quit after taking on Khamzat Chimaev, which affected the lower jaw. The fight between Chimaev and Whittaker was the co-main event of the UFC 308 tournament and earned Chimaev, representing the United Arab Emirates, the 14th victory of his career. Later, former champion and tournament commentator Daniel Cormier showed a photo showing that Whittaker had suffered a serious jaw injury.
— How do you like the leg pass that Chimaev used to pass Robert Whittaker?
“I liked the speed with which he did it, I liked the angle at which he passed, because it is impossible to defend against a pass like that. Khamzat has a very long attack range. He has long limbs, and as you can see, he started almost from the center of the cage, instantly closed the distance, and due to the length of his limbs he has very good control, taking either the back , or the body. It is therefore very difficult to defend against its passage, given its influence. And what I liked the most, unlike the fight with Kamaru Usman, he felt calm and didn’t force himself. He understood that it was his element, that he could work like this for a long time. And Whittaker felt it too. He defended well and didn’t let his legs get in. But when he himself was almost gone, Khamzat climbed up, grabbed his heels and pulled him under him again. And then Robert seemed psychologically broken. He spent a lot of energy defending himself, but Khamzat felt calm
I was surprised how quickly Robert hit, but when they showed us a picture of his teeth, I watched the replay and noticed the very hard elbows that Khamzat used to finish. They preceded the blow, and the damage inflicted by Khamzat during the final blow became decisive. The reason for this was precisely the finishing blows, and the technique was already a consequence of this. He finished it in a good position and finished it calmly and without emotion. So it seems to me that everyone has identified the blows. And it should also be noted that Robert Whittaker’s mouth was open during the fight, it’s a dangerous position. Apparently, when the finishing blows were delivered, that also had an effect.
– Do you think Chimaev will get a title fight?
– I think one hundred percent, there is no doubt about it. Du Plessis (champion) will fight Strickland in January or February. Khamzat will have Ramadan almost the whole month of March, then he will recover and in July or August he will fight with the winner of the Du Plesis-Strickland duo,” Badaev told .
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
