Robert Whittaker reveals it took months to completely heal from ugly Khamzat Chimaev damage

[ad_1] Robert Whittaker fairly actually had his face rearranged in his most up-to-date Octagon look.

The previous UFC middleweight champion suffered a horrific first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev this previous October, a defeat which resulted in a damaged jaw for Whittaker and shattered three of his backside enamel from Chimaev's squeeze. "Bobby Knuckles" is now totally recovered and on the rebound, however earlier than he competes on this weekend's UFC Abu Dhabi predominant occasion towards Reinier de Ridder, Whittaker revealed it took a number of months to completely heal from the ugly scene.

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"Excellent, mate. Higher than earlier than," Whittaker stated of his enamel and jaw on Monday's version of "The Ariel Helwani Present." "I simply acquired them taken out, the enamel. I acquired implants put in, and it took them a short while to set and settle. Now that that is all executed, I've had loads of time. Like I stated, higher than ever."

Whittaker vs. Chimaev was primarily an unofficial title eliminator that led to the latter's championship bout towards UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis on Aug. 16 at UFC 319.

Whittaker additionally beforehand fought du Plessis in July 2023, infamously shedding in an upset that, at the least within the second, was thought-about pretty shocking. When assessing the matchup between his two former opponents, Whittaker believes the paths to victory are clear for every.

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"Chimaev goes to get him to the bottom," Whittaker stated. "If he would not end him there, I do not assume he wins. That is simply how I really feel. If you cannot get Dricus out within the first, which Chimaev can do — first-round finishes is his factor, proper? — but when he would not get him out of there, I believe Dricus appears good, very promising. He is a man that for those who do not eliminate, he form of wins."

At age 34, Whittaker stays a prime contender at 185 kilos and might reestablish himself within the hunt by turning again one other surging contender with the aforementioned de Ridder battle.

That being stated, Whittaker is aware of his clock is ticking to make one closing title run — which in Whittaker's thoughts, can be the perfect capstone on the Aussie legend's probably Corridor of Fame profession.

"Realistically, I solely need to battle for a pair extra years. There's different issues I need to do nonetheless. I can see the sunshine on the finish of the tunnel. I perceive it's my final massive push, the final dash, final 100 meters of the race. Let's get in there, get a couple of extra fights in. I can see the trail to the gold, and the dream is that fairytale ending. Every thing goes into this.

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"Crusing off into the sundown because the champ [would be perfect]."

Whittaker has been a mainstay of the middleweight division since 2014 and has been almost flawless all through that run. His solely losses got here towards championship-caliber competitors: Du Plessis, Chimaev and Israel Adesanya. Relying on what number of wins it would take to get Whittaker again to a title battle, he may realistically be gazing a rematch with both man in UFC 319's championship bout.

Whereas the Chimaev loss could have been the worst of his current two setbacks, particularly optically, his second-round stoppage loss to du Plessis continues to be the one haunting Whittaker most. If he had it his approach, closing out his run in MMA with redemption towards the South African can be a dream come true.

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"Truthfully, I believe Dricus is the form of man that can lose to himself," Whittaker stated. "The way in which he fights. I believe it is apparent with each battle, it's totally closely mindset pushed. Particularly for him. He is robust as nails and he by no means quits. He beats lots of people on the backs of him not going anyplace. I believe the day that he cannot push, the day that he cannot discover that, is the day that he would possibly lose. He is acquired a head of metal, he is a tricky man, he is sturdy, he is bodily match, he places within the work.

"I might wish to battle him once more. That might be the icing on the cake. ... Truthfully, I do assume I am higher than him. I believe I am higher than all people, even after I lose, proper? It is primarily that in our first pairing, I let myself down in that battle, and I need to right that. I did not have the suitable headspace to go and beat him.

"I need to right that greater than any of my different losses. That is the battle I did not like feeling like that."

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