Khamzat Chimaev returned in emphatic fashion.
Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) ran through former champion Robert Whittaker (27-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) to secure a face crank submission at the 3:34 mark of Round 1. The middleweight bout was the UFC 308 co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Less than 20 seconds into the fight, Chimaev stormed in with a takedown. He was able to get one hook in as he worked for the rear-naked choke. Whittaker defended well, as Chimaev continously tried to drag him down. Chimaev finally took his back, but Whittaker exploded out. However, Chimaev was able to jump on his back again. His pressure proved to be too much as he was finally able to get across Whittaker’s face, forcing him to tap quickly.
