UFC 308 results: Khamzat Chimaev shatters Robert Whittaker's jaw for a nasty first-round submission win

Khamzat Chimaev may have just crossed the finish line for a title shot after quickly defeating former champion Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308.

Chimaev only needed a single takedown followed by suffocating grappling to finally put Whittaker in a position to submit. Chimaev wrapped his arms around the jaw and tightened his grip, while Whittaker tapped it almost immediately, grimacing in pain.

The end came at 3:34 of the opening round. Afterwards, Whittaker revealed that he had likely suffered a dislocated jaw as a result of Chimaev's submission.

“I’m going for the belt,” Chimaev said after his latest win. “Thank you Robert, I love you, my brother. You are a legend. Nobody wants to fight with me. All champions are running away from me. Give me the belt!”

As the fight began, Chimaev scored a lightning-quick takedown, driving Whittaker to the cage and laying the former champion to the ground. Chimaev immediately began taking defense while Whittaker did his best to play defense without giving up poor positioning in the grappling transition.

Whittaker briefly tried to escape but Chimaev was right on top of him again as the unbeaten Chechen continued to look for an assist. To his credit, Chimaev also showed a lot of patience as he continued to consolidate his position before unleashing his attacking attack.

When he finally had Whittaker fully under control, Chimaev immediately grabbed the submission by completely shattering his jaw with his immense strength. Chimaev said he actually felt Whittaker's jaw give way and his face contort at that moment.

“I feel like his jaw almost broke,” Chimaev said.

It was a great performance from Chimaev as he one-sidedly defeated a former champion while also becoming the first person to defeat Whittaker in the UFC. While all signs point to Sean Strickland getting his next title shot against middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, Chimaev will find it terribly difficult to turn down the chance for gold after this latest win.