Dricus Du Plessis has spoken out for the first time since Khamzat Chimaev’s gruesome stoppage last night.
The Swede appeared to do serious damage to former champion Robert Whittaker as he landed a first round submission at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. The Australian claims he had his ‘teeth moved in’ by Chimaev, who now could be heading towards a world title shot.
In order to win the gold at middleweight, Chimaev would need to get through Du Plessis, who was watching with a keen eye last night. And the South African has sent a message to his rival as a fight appears to move closer.
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Khamzat Chimaev brutally stops Robert Whittaker at UFC 308
In the co-main event of last night’s Abu Dhabi pay-per-view, Khamzat Chimaev made a triumphant return to action following a tumultuous year out of the cage. Once lauded for his activity and fighting twice in ten days, the Swede appears to be on a once-a-year schedule since 2022.
However, it appeared that after a late weigh-in the day before he was fully replenished as he quickly and violently submitted Robert Whittaker to take his biggest scalp yet. The bout had been set for five rounds, but he didn’t even need five minutes to badly injure the former champion and tap him out.
Now, there appears to be a logjam atop the middleweight division, with Sean Strickland the top contender but Chimaev now right up there with him. And it remains to be seen what is next for the title as the champion prepares for his second defence.
Dricus Du Plessis sends message to Khamzat Chimaev after UFC 308 win
In the immediate aftermath of Chimaev’s win, middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis took his time sending a message to his challenger. He was respectful of Whittaker and what he had suffered, before insisting that he plans to end the Swede’s unbeaten run once and for all.
“Feel really sorry for Rob,” Du Plessis wrote in a message to his 110,000+ followers on X. “He looked super ready but this is the fight game well done on a good performance. Khamzat That being said I can’t wait to take your 0.”
Du Plessis was also spotted in the comments section of Whittaker’s first post after the fight, telling his former opponent that he will definitely return. “You’re an absolute warrior and someone to look up to brother,” he wrote. “You’ll be back speedy recovery.”
Robert Whittaker provides injury update
The scary nature of Whittaker’s injury was first revealed on the broadcast by commentator Daniel Cormier. The former two-weight world champion shared a photo seeming to show his teeth having been completely dislodged in a gruesome moment.
But the Australian insists that his jaw is okay, despite seemingly suffering some sort of a fracture that forced him to quickly submit when put in a face crank by Chimaev. “Thank you everyone for all the love and support,” he wrote on Instagram.
“It’s a tough gig sometimes but that’s the business. 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 haha.
“I’m disappointed, but I come back better from every setback and every challenge so this is no different. 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.”
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