Former UFC middleweight champion Rob Whittaker expressed disappointment that Daniel Cormier shared photos of his dental injury following his match with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, though he’s now finding unexpected positives from the incident.
Speaking on his MMArcade podcast Tuesday, Whittaker revealed his lengthy history of dental issues that preceded the October event. “I’ve always kind of had bad bottom teeth,” Whittaker said. “I’ve had missing teeth for 10 years plus. So I’ve always been kind of shot because they’re not stable. They’re not a full circuit, they’re like half.”
The Australian athlete detailed how his dental problems had progressively worsened through recent competitions, including requiring multiple root canals after facing Ikram Aliskerov. During the Chimaev match, the situation came to a head when his opponent’s technique caused significant damage.
“But anyway, his forearm goes straight across the bottom teeth and they move straight away. Then the squeeze after it, they were gone. They just went straight back in. Everyone and their friend saw the photos,” Whittaker explained.
Despite the graphic nature of the injury, Whittaker has maintained a surprisingly positive outlook. “You know what? I’ll go as far as to say, Chimaev did me a favor,” he said. “He got rid of the teeth.”
The incident led to an unexpected medical discovery. “Fun fact though, when they took them out they found a massive cyst in my jaw. Apparently they think that might have been where the infections were coming from with the teeth. So everything happens for a reason,” Whittaker revealed.
While already back in training, Whittaker plans to take a measured approach to his return, targeting summer 2025 for his next competition. At 34 years old this December, he remains optimistic about his future, stating, “I still have, I feel like some tricks up my sleeve. I still have some goals that I want to hit.”
