Tag: Robert Whittaker

Joe Rogan Rallies for Khamzat Chimaev’s Title Shot, Snubs Sean Strickland, After ‘Scary’ UFC 308 Domination

Joe Rogan Rallies for Khamzat Chimaev’s Title Shot, Snubs Sean Strickland, After ‘Scary’ UFC 308 DominationJoe Rogan thinks Khamzat Chimaev should get the next shot at middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis. After a year-long…

Joe Rogan Rallies for Khamzat Chimaev’s Title Shot, Snubs Sean Strickland, After ‘Scary’ UFC 308 Domination

Joe Rogan thinks Khamzat Chimaev should get the next shot at middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis.

After a year-long layoff due to illness, travel restrictions, and whatever else is going on behind the scenes, ‘Borz’ returned to the Octagon at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi for a high-stakes co-main event clash with former 185-pound titleholder Robert Whittaker. And while Chimaev was listed as a favorite to come out on top, what happened was something nobody expected to see.

Khamzat Chimaev

Chimaev shot in for a takedown within sends, putting Whittaker on the mat and eventually making ‘The Reaper’ tap out via a vicious neck crank in the opening round. Initially, it appeared as though Chimaev had dislocated his jaw.

That turned out to not be the case, but Whittaker did suffer a rather nasty injury, later revealing that multiple teeth in his mouth had been pushed in by the force Chimaev generated.

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev is ‘The Guy’

Reacting to Chimaev’s dominant performance during his JRE Fight Companion, the longtime UFC color commentator suggested that ‘Borz’ should be next in line for a title shot.

”That guy’s [Chimaev] a scary a** motherf*cker. That grappling is next level. He’s a beast… Once he gets a hold of you, it’s so dangerous…You give him the title shot. Holy sh*t. He gets a title shot, I think. Not just [beating Whittaker in the first round], but ran through him.

“He didn’t get touched. He ran through him and strangled him in the first round. He might be the guy…Think about this at [185 pounds]. So this guy was killing himself to get to 170. At 185, he’s the f*cking man.”

Unfortunately, the next shot at Du Plessis has already been promised to ex-champion Sean Strickland following his win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June, and ‘Tarzan’ isn’t about to let anyone step in front of him.

Of course, nobody would be surprised if the promotion decided to strike while the iron is hot and hand Chimaev his first UFC title opportunity instead of a rematch between Strickland and ‘DDP.’ It certainly wouldn’t be the first time the UFC has passed up the next man in line for something a little more exciting. Just ask Magomed Ankalev.

Khamzat Chimaev

Caio Borralho Calls For Whittaker In Sydney Or Backup Role For Next Title Fight   

As the #6-ranked contender in the middleweight division, there aren’t many fights that make sense for the surging Caio Borralho right now. The Brazilian called out a former champion following his win over Jared Cannonier but doesn’t look to have gotten anywhere with it just yet. With UFC 312 being announced for Sydney, Australia in […]

Continue Reading Caio Borralho Calls For Whittaker In Sydney Or Backup Role For Next Title Fight    at MMA News.

As the #6-ranked contender in the middleweight division, there aren’t many fights that make sense for the surging Caio Borralho right now. The Brazilian called out a former champion following his win over Jared Cannonier but doesn’t look to have gotten anywhere with it just yet.

With UFC 312 being announced for Sydney, Australia in February, his proposed fight against Israel Adesanya would make a lot of sense. It now looks like Alexander Volkanovski won’t be on the card so getting some big names from this region in meaningful fights is sure to be high on the UFC’s list of priorities.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Borralho said that fighting Robert Whittaker on this card could be an option if the former champion has healed in time from his injuries that he suffered this past weekend at UFC 308.

“I definitely think it’s a great fight, I’m a big fan of Rob, a big fan of what he has done in this sport. I think he’s a great guy, a nice guy, but definitely it’s a fight that I want if Adesanya doesn’t want to face me in the next fight, I think Robert Whittaker is the one that I want.”

In the mean time, Borralho is happy to wait for the right fight and revealed that he’s already put his name into the mix to be the backup fighter for the next middleweight title fight. He believes that Sean Strickland will be next to challenge the champion, Dricus Du Plessis.

That leaves Khamzat Chimaev who he’s trained with in the past so isn’t actively pursuing a fight with unless it means securing UFC gold. As a result, Borralho is open to the idea of staying ready in case the UFC needs someone to step in.

“In fact, I told that to the UFC, I told that to Hunter, to Mick Maynard, that I can be the backup fighter. If they want me to be, I can be the backup fighter. I’m going to make weight and gonna wait. If something happens, I’ll be ready, I’ll be more than ready.”   

Continue Reading Caio Borralho Calls For Whittaker In Sydney Or Backup Role For Next Title Fight    at MMA News.

VIDEO: Israel Adesanya’s Live Reaction To Chimaev Dominantly Submitting Whittaker At UFC 308

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya reacted like most as Khamzat Chimaev forced a quick tap from Robert Whittaker this past weekend. After injuries and illness stalled his title plans at 185 pounds following a victory over Kamaru Usman in October 2023, Chimaev made his return 12 months on for the biggest Octagon outing […]

Continue Reading VIDEO: Israel Adesanya’s Live Reaction To Chimaev Dominantly Submitting Whittaker At UFC 308 at MMA News.

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya reacted like most as Khamzat Chimaev forced a quick tap from Robert Whittaker this past weekend.

After injuries and illness stalled his title plans at 185 pounds following a victory over Kamaru Usman in October 2023, Chimaev made his return 12 months on for the biggest Octagon outing of his career to date.

Many were picking against “Borz” leading up to the UFC 308 pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi given the level of competition he was facing. But despite plenty backing former champ Whittaker to make it three wins from three in 2024, Chimaev streamrolled through “The Reaper.”

Having secured his usual fast takedown, Chimaev went to work on the ground and ultimately applied a brutal face crank. To the surprise of most, Whittaker tapped out almost immediately.

The Australian’s decision to do so was explained soon after when an image showed that the pressure from Chimaev’s hold had caved his front teeth in.

During a video recently uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya reacted live to the events that unfolded at Saturday’s PPV in Abu Dhabi, paying close attention as the undefeated Chimaev met his former two-time opponent.

Adesanya willed Whittaker on as he worked to escape Chimaev’s imposing wrestling, expressing shock at the sudden ending that came just over three and a half minutes into the very first round.

“There we go, told you. Straight away. You should know by now he’s going to shoot, but he’s so quick with it,” Adesanya said. “Good job Whitty. … What?! Already? Wow. That’s what I said, first or second round. Something (happened) with the jaw, that was just too quick. … F*ck, dislocated jaw from the pressure, that’s crazy.”

With Adesanya failing in his bid to regain the middleweight title in Perth, Australia this past August, he likely won’t be sharing the cage with Chimaev anytime soon.

Instead, “Borz” has his sights on Dricus Du Plessis, who won the belt from Sean Strickland at the start of 2024 before adding a defense to his reign at “The Last Stylebender’s” expense.

Continue Reading VIDEO: Israel Adesanya’s Live Reaction To Chimaev Dominantly Submitting Whittaker At UFC 308 at MMA News.

“He Ran Through Him!” Joe Rogan Reacts to Khamzat Chimaev’s Quick Submission Win Over Whittaker

Joe Rogan Khamzat Chimaev UFC 308UFC commentator and legendary podcaster Joe Rogan was highly impressed with Khamzat Chimaev’s thrilling submission over Robert Whittaker at…

Joe Rogan Khamzat Chimaev UFC 308

UFC commentator and legendary podcaster Joe Rogan was highly impressed with Khamzat Chimaev’s thrilling submission over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.

UFC 308’s co-main event featured a wild battle between former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and the indomitable Khamzat Chimaev. On paper, the matchup looked like a barn burner. Whittaker has always been very well-rounded, just like Chimaev. People expected ‘Borz’ to do everything he could grappling-wise, but few expected the quick submission victory (and the fact that he crushed Whittaker’s jaw with his choke).

While Joe Rogan’s frequency of appearances as a UFC commentator has decreased in recent years, he still watches the fights live on his podcast (the Joe Rogan Experience). For UFC 308, he was joined by his close friends Bryan Callen, Brendan Schaub, and Eddie Bravo.

Joe Rogan and the crew live-react to Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant victory over Robert Whittaker

The victory for Chimaev came just over three and a half minutes into the first round. Things happened quickly, and many were surprised to see Whittaker tapping. Rogan spoke during the electrifying moments of the submission and echoed his thoughts about the situation.

“Oh, he’s tapping!” Joe Rogan exclaimed (H/T Sportskeeda). “Holy sh**. Bro, he gets a title shot, I think. He ran through him, and he strangled him in the first round.”

After the fight, people took notice and began speculating about what looked like a broken jaw on Whittaker. Rogan explained that often, after suffering a broken jaw, people lose fine motor control over their mouth, causing them to hold their mouth agape. After more time passed, it was confirmed that Chimaev indeed crushed Whittaker’s jaw and inflicted some very significant damage.

Check out Joe Rogan’s live reaction to the crazy finish below!

Where do you think Khamzat Chimaev goes from here, and do you think he’s ready to face a fighter like Alex Pereira?

“He Ran Through Him!” Joe Rogan Reacts to Khamzat Chimaev’s Quick Submission Win Over Whittaker

Joe Rogan Khamzat Chimaev UFC 308UFC commentator and legendary podcaster Joe Rogan was highly impressed with Khamzat Chimaev’s thrilling submission over Robert Whittaker at…

Joe Rogan Khamzat Chimaev UFC 308

UFC commentator and legendary podcaster Joe Rogan was highly impressed with Khamzat Chimaev’s thrilling submission over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.

UFC 308’s co-main event featured a wild battle between former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and the indomitable Khamzat Chimaev. On paper, the matchup looked like a barn burner. Whittaker has always been very well-rounded, just like Chimaev. People expected ‘Borz’ to do everything he could grappling-wise, but few expected the quick submission victory (and the fact that he crushed Whittaker’s jaw with his choke).

While Joe Rogan’s frequency of appearances as a UFC commentator has decreased in recent years, he still watches the fights live on his podcast (the Joe Rogan Experience). For UFC 308, he was joined by his close friends Bryan Callen, Brendan Schaub, and Eddie Bravo.

Joe Rogan and the crew live-react to Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant victory over Robert Whittaker

The victory for Chimaev came just over three and a half minutes into the first round. Things happened quickly, and many were surprised to see Whittaker tapping. Rogan spoke during the electrifying moments of the submission and echoed his thoughts about the situation.

“Oh, he’s tapping!” Joe Rogan exclaimed (H/T Sportskeeda). “Holy sh**. Bro, he gets a title shot, I think. He ran through him, and he strangled him in the first round.”

After the fight, people took notice and began speculating about what looked like a broken jaw on Whittaker. Rogan explained that often, after suffering a broken jaw, people lose fine motor control over their mouth, causing them to hold their mouth agape. After more time passed, it was confirmed that Chimaev indeed crushed Whittaker’s jaw and inflicted some very significant damage.

Check out Joe Rogan’s live reaction to the crazy finish below!

Where do you think Khamzat Chimaev goes from here, and do you think he’s ready to face a fighter like Alex Pereira?

Robert Whittaker Issues First Statement On Brutal Submission Loss To Khamzat Chimaev

UFC 308 proved to be a night to forget for Robert Whittaker, as he lost to Khamzat Chimaev in the evening’s co-main event and suffered a gruesome injury in the process. Chimaev was easily able to take Whittaker down and maintained complete control, never letting the former champion get out of his grasp for most […]

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Issues First Statement On Brutal Submission Loss To Khamzat Chimaev at MMA News.

UFC 308 proved to be a night to forget for Robert Whittaker, as he lost to Khamzat Chimaev in the evening’s co-main event and suffered a gruesome injury in the process.

Chimaev was easily able to take Whittaker down and maintained complete control, never letting the former champion get out of his grasp for most of the fight. “Borz” landed a devastating elbow on Whittaker before locking in a face crank, which saw the Australian tap almost immediately.

During the UFC 308 commentary team’s wrap-up at the end of the pay-per-view, Daniel Cormier displayed a graphic image of the hold’s aftermath, showing Whittaker’s front teeth damaged and sparking fears of a jaw fracture.

Whittaker took to social media early on Oct. 27 to release a statement following the loss.

Robert Whittaker Says His Jaw ‘Is Good’ Following UFC 308 Loss To Khamzat Chimaev

With the win, Chimaev improved to 14-0 in his career, including an 8-0 Octagon record. It was his first win since his triumph over Kamaru Usman one year ago.

Whittaker and Chimaev were originally supposed to fight in June before the latter withdrew due to illness. “The Reaper” defeated short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov on that card in Saudi Arabia.

Chimaev became just the third person to defeat Whittaker at 185 pounds since the former champ moved up to middleweight about a decade ago. The other two are names that have also gone on to win the UFC middleweight belt — former two-time champ Israel Adesanya and current kingpin Dricus Du Plessis.

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Issues First Statement On Brutal Submission Loss To Khamzat Chimaev at MMA News.