Khamzat Chimaev Opens As Betting Favorite To Win Title After UFC ...

4 days ago

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 26: Khamzat Chimaev of Russia reacts after a submission ... [+] victory against Robert Whittaker of New Zealand in a middleweight fight during the UFC 308 event at Etihad Arena on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

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Khamzat Chimaev made a statement at UFC 308, forcing former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker to tap to a devastating face crank in the first round of their co-main event matchup. The ease with which Chimaev ran through the well-respected Whittaker could earn Chimaev the next shot at UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. The early odds favor the challenger if that matchup is the next 185-pound title fight.

Chimaev entered UFC 308 as the No. 13 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings, while Whittaker was ranked at No. 3. Saturday’s fight card marked Chimaev’s first fight since he defeated former UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman by majority decision in October 2023. The UFC had booked Whittaker vs. Chimaev for a June scrap, but that fell through when Chimaev fell ill. Whittaker stayed on the card and scored an impressive knockout win over late replacement Ikram Aliskerov.

Chimaev came into UFC 308 healthy, and mauled Whittaker.

As expected, Chimaev started the fight fast, scoring an early takedown. Whittaker was on defense from that moment, and the former champ did his best to prevent his foe from locking up a submission. As valiantly as he tried, Whitaker could not shake his larger opponent from his back. Chimaev’s relentless pressure enabled him to lock on a face crank at the 3:34 mark of the first round, bringing a desperation tap from Whittaker.

After the fight, we learned the former champ’s acquiescence came too late, as Chimaev’s tight squeeze badly damaged Whittaker’s teeth and jaw.

The victorious Chimaev spoke about how the fight ended at the UFC 308 post-fight press conference, “Before I come in here they showed it to me, but I felt something was wrong with his chin when I pushed it,” Chimaev said. “So I feel bad for that. I didn’t mean to break somebody’s chin, but it’s my work to make somebody pain and make me happy, my family.”

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“I wasn’t trying to break his jaw in any way,” Chimaev added. “It just happened that I went for a choke, and I heard something click. I thought I was taking his neck, but I guess I broke the jaw.”

In August, UFC CEO Dana White said the next UFC middleweight title fight would be a rematch between current champion Dricus du Plessis and ex-champ Sean Strickland. However, if those plans should fall through and the UFC books Du Plessis vs. Chimaev, the oddsmakers favor the challenger to take the title.

Chimaev Betting Favorite Over Champ and Ex-Champ

Not long after his UFC 308 victory, BetOnline installed Chimaev as a -200 betting favorite over Du Plessis, who was listed at +170. Meanwhile, if the UFC goes with a title eliminator between Chimaev and Strickland, Chimaev is the -250 favorite over the +210 Strickland.

The UFC has not officially announced a time, date or location for the potential matchup between Du Plessis and Strickland. In their first meeting, which took place in January 2024, Du Plessis won the title via split decision. He defended his belt in August with a submission victory over former two-time UFC middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya.

Chimaev moved to 14-0 with his win over Whittaker at UFC 308. He has 12 career finishes.