Robert Whittaker has given an update on the injury he sustained in his first-round defeat to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 on Saturday.
Reports that Whittaker suffered a dislocated jaw surfaced after a photograph was shown by UFC commentator Daniel Cormier during the live broadcast. The image was then widely shared on social media.
While the image made for grim viewing, showing Whittaker's teeth crushed in an unnatural direction, the 33-year-old former UFC middleweight champion clarified that he had not suffered any damage to his jaw.
“It’s a tough gig sometimes but that’s the business,” Whittaker wrote on Instagram. “Big congratulations to Khamzat, he was the better man tonight and that’s all there is to it. I felt great, everything was on point and I was ready. My jaw is good, but my teeth were moved in. It’s a good excuse to fix them properly now.”
Chimaev took the Australian down early in the fight and after relentless pressure secured a face crank that forced Whittaker to tap almost immediately.
It was Whittaker's first defeat since losing to Dricus du Plessis in July 2023, halting a two-fight win streak as he looked to earn another shot at the South African and current 185-pound champion.
It was initially feared that the damage – and the manner – of his defeat to Chimaev could potentially end Whittaker's UFC career, but the "Reaper", whose pro MMA record now stands at 26-8, said he will be back.
“I’m disappointed, but I come back better from every setback and every challenge so this is no different,” Whittaker said. “I want to thank my team and everyone who supported me to get here. Time to go spend time with the family for a bit. Be back soon.”
Victory over the third-ranked Whittaker extended Chimaev's unbeaten record in MMA to 14 victories and rocketed him into the title conversation, much to the chagrin of Sean Strickland, who believes he has a contract for a return fight with champion Du Plessis.
It was Chimaev's first UFC appearance in a year following a spate of health issues. The Chechen-born fighter, who now resides and fights out of the UFC, put the division on notice with his devastating performance against Whittaker.
“It doesn’t matter Sean or Dricus, just going for the gold. We’ll see what happens next. I’m ready," Chimaev, 30, said immediately after the fight.
Champion Du Plessis appeared to welcome the challenge, posting on X after the fight that he "can't wait" to inflict a first defeat of Chimaev's career.
When asked about Du Plessis’ grappling at the post-fight press conference, Chimaev quickly dismissed it.
“How I did with this guy, Rob, and how he done?” Chimaev said. “Rob took him down, so if Rob took him down, there is salam alaikum [against me].”
Whether Chimaev has done enough to earn a title shot just yet remains to be seen, although UFC president Dana White was evasive when asked about the possibility at the post-UFC 308 press conference.
If not a title shot, Chimaev said he would be happy to face another former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, or perhaps even a title eliminator against the No 1-ranked Strickland.
“For me, Adesanya would be a good money fight because he has a big name,” Chimaev said. “Sean Strickland, we’ve been in the gym. We have some stuff not done yet, so that would be good history as well.”
UFC 308 in pictures
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
