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Khamzat Chimaev's first-round submission win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 left the MMA community stunned. As a former champion and one of the best middleweights of the modern era, fans were shocked to see Chimaev finish 'The Reaper' via rear-naked choke. It was revealed after the fight that Whittaker suffered several broken teeth as a result of the submission, with the Chechen's forearm pushing into the lower jaw of his opponent.
The Australian later disclosed that he suffered an injury to his lower teeth against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 in 2023, and was unable to rectify the issue before facing 'Borz'. He has since fixed his lower-jaw issues, but Whittaker's upcoming opponent believes he will be able to top Chimaev's brutal finish.
The former middleweight champion will face Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi in July. De Ridder is a divisional newcomer having made his promotional debut in November 2024. He has won all three of his UFC fights via stoppage, most recently against Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines on May 3.
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De Ridder was recently interviewed by MMAJunkie following his TKO win over Nickal. He discussed Whittaker's potential vulnerability exposed by Chimaev, and said:
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"Yeah I think my rear-naked chokes are a bit cleaner [than Chimaev's]. I think I can get under the chin."
Check out Reinier de Ridder discuss Khamzat Chimaev's finish over Robert Whittaker below (3:40):
Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev back-up fighter officially announced
UFC 319 will see Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev go to war for the middleweight title on Aug. 17. The bout is without a doubt one of the most anticipated matchups of 2025. However, should either fighter be unable to make the walk on fight night, an official replacement fighter has been announced.
Surging contender Nassourdine Imavov, who most recently knocked out Israel Adesanya when they fought at UFC Saudi Arabia, will serve as the emergency replacement for the main event.
UFC on TNT Sports announced the news, writing on X:
"Nassourdine Imavov is reportedly set to serve as the back-up fighter for Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319."
Check out the post below:
