R. Whittaker performed at the UFC 308. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @robwhittakermma
Finished by Khamzat Shimaev with a rear naked choke in October 2024, Robert whittaker gave some details about his impressions of the confrontation in an interview on YouTube channel by Canadian reporter Ariel Helwani last Wednesday (22). Although the strangulation shocked the world due to the injuries caused to the Australian's teeth and jaw, for Whittaker, other aspects of his opponent's game caught his attention more.
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According to the former UFC middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg), even the intense preparation he put into camp training for the fight was not enough to defend himself against the Chechen's intense game of takedowns and transitions on the ground, who defeated him in the first round.
“It was the takedown. The cage fighting and everything else was just part of the package. I got caught with that choke, but that’s just part of grappling and transitioning. But he was sticky… He was very, very good at distressing, dragging you down and just holding that position. We knew that, we trained for that, and I was like a rag doll for most of the fight.” camp, so I felt comfortable there,” said the fighter.
Despite asserting that the rear naked choke brought significant adversity in itself, Whittaker, who also criticized the stance de Daniel Cormier after the incident, he downplayed the blow and reaffirmed his shock at dealing with Chimaev's athletic ability.
“Getting caught in that chokehold, I didn’t expect that – I thought I would have more time, I didn’t. But it was the initial takedown that surprised me the most because the guy came in from about six feet away and honestly, he was about a foot off the ground. It was really hard to defend, the only thing I can think of in retrospect is more lateral movement, because when you reach the fence, he’s reaching for your ankles to use that transition to fighting against the wall… That initial takedown is hard to stop, like really, really hard to stop.”
Whittaker's teeth were pushed in after Chimaev struck him / Reproduction
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