"Technically sound, perfect, correct": Former UFC champion lauds Khamzat Chimaev’s flawless fighting style

After Khamzat Chimaev defeated Robert Whittaker recently, a former UFC champion had next-level praise for Chimaev's grappling mastery. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson broke down how Chimaev methodically destroyed the post that Whittaker was using to prop himself up, resulting in a brutal neck crank that left the former champ's jaw and teeth in tatters.

Demetrious Johnson’s breakdown of Khamzat Chimaev’s technique

Demetrious Johnson offered an in-depth analysis of the finish, praising Chimaev’s composure and ability to force mistakes:

“Everything he’s doing is technically sound, perfect, correct—forcing his opponent to make a bad mistake trying to post. Take the post away, get it up, and Rob Whittaker didn’t get choked out because he wasn’t on the neck: he neck cranked him and broke his bottom jaw or the teeth. The biggest thing you take away from this is when he is attacking in the grappling aspect, taking the post away, driving his weight on top of you, always transitioning and not really being married to one position.”Johnson followed that up by pointing out Chimaev's incessant pressure while on top, conveying that he never seems to sit still, always working to progress, always putting weight, always removing paths for escape.

Submission that shattered Whittaker’s jaw

Khamzat Chimaev declared himself a terrifying presence in the middleweight division a mere two months later at UFC 308 in October 2024. Just over three minutes in, he claimed a face-crank submission on Robert Whittaker so vicious that it dislocated his jaw and dislodged multiple bottom teeth.

It was such an awful finish that cageside heard a loud 'pop', and pics later showed the brutal damage. Whittaker later specified he didn't have a fractured jaw, just broken teeth.

Chimaev moved into the middleweight title fight with that emphatic victory, which booked him a headline clash against the titleholder, Dricus du Plessis, in a megafight at UFC 319.

Dricus du Plessis’ challenge: countering Khamzat Chimaev’s grappling onslaught

With a fight now looming, Dricus du Plessis and his team are ready to face the challenges posed by Chimaev's grappling game.

His coach, Morne Visser, called Chimaev's striking "not even concerned with" and referred to him as "one-dimensional," saying they'd be looking to fight Chimaev in his element, not avoiding it. Also Read: Khamzat Chimaev praises Donald Trump for UFC 319 return but doubts White House inviteEven Du Plessis himself retains high confidence as a "special" fighter to hold an unbeaten record in the UFC for Chimaev. So he's preparing for an aggressive, finish-or-bust nature to the fight in Chicago, while knowing the threat Chimaev poses with his grappling will be ever present, but confident his toolkit is well-rounded enough to cover the risk.