Khamzat Chimaev’s hype train is roaring back to life and gaining momentum like never before. His dominant performance against Robert Whittaker in their UFC 308 showdown left no doubt about his skill and brilliance. The Chechen sensation proved exactly why he’s been so highly regarded, delivering a performance that silenced any remaining doubters.

However, the fans are more concerned about the former middleweight champion and his return. Whittaker broke his teeth in the fight and seems to have healed from his gruesome injury. So when can we expect the 34-year-old to return to action again? Let us find out about it below.

Robert Whittaker is planning to make a comeback in June

Injuries are an inevitable part of a UFC fighter’s career, given the physically demanding nature of mixed martial arts. From broken bones to torn ligaments, fighters often endure significant physical tolls in training and during fights. These injuries not only affect their performance but can also lead to prolonged absences, delaying their career progression and title aspirations. Robert Whittaker is the newest member of the list of very unusual injuries. At UFC 308 the Aussie phenom did not just suffer a simple loss because his already weakened teeth broke broken by Chimaev’s face crank.

After the fight, Whittaker required six dental implants and braces to repair his damaged jaw. Fortunately, he has since recovered and is doing well. Chimaev later acknowledged that breaking Whittaker’s jaw was not intentional, expressing regret for the injury caused during their bout. The former champion is now working with Israel Adesanya – the same man who defeated him twice. On Instagram, ‘The Last Stylebender’ shared photos and videos of a sparring session, captioned, “New year, new friends😊.” The images captured the two fighters smiling and enjoying what appeared to be a lighthearted and fun training session between elite UFC competitors.

While there is no official date on his comeback, it seems Robert Whittaker is eyeing a return in June. MMA Orbit took to their Instagram account to share the details and it seems ‘The Reaper’ is trying something new. The caption read, “Robert Whittaker tells @maineventtv that he plans to return around June. Whittaker wants to spend the next few weeks/months perfecting some new skills he’s learning before entering a fight camp.” Before his loss to Chimaev, Whittaker was on a two-fight winning streak and was looking to get a title shot with another win. However, he will now have to rethink his plans and work up the ladder once again.

Currently, the former champion is more focused on analyzing the upcoming UFC 311 event. The event is filled with some outstanding clashes which has already hyped up the first UFC event of 2025. Experts and fans have started making predictions for the night. Robert Whittaker is also not too far behind and has come up with his favorite for the fight between Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill.

Robert Whittaker picks his favorite for the light heavyweight clash at UFC 311

The eagerly awaited fight between Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311 is more than just a contest in the cage—it’s a fight for the top contender spot and a chance to restore past glory. Hill, coming back after a nine-month layoff, is under significant pressure following his knockout loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 300. That defeat ended his championship aspirations and forced him to begin his journey back to title contention from scratch. ‘Sweet Dreams’ has been facing a lot of backlash recently for his antics outside the Octagon. However, one cannot look past the skill set he has in fighting.

Interestingly, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has expressed support for Jamahal Hill, even after the tough result of his own recent fight. Speaking on the MMArcade podcast, Whittaker broke down Hill’s loss, crediting Pereira’s win to his exceptional striking skills. He said, “Jamahal hitting as hard as he does, he like there is no doubt that Jamahal Hill hits hard you can see the way he’s not only the fact that he’s got his TKO and his knockouts in his; in his prior fights to Alex. But then if you watch the fight and you see the way he knocked people out a lot; some of those shots weren’t even clean and he’s still stoning people so yeah.”

The Australian standout also pointed out Prochazka’s weak defense, noting how his tendency to charge forward leaves him open to head strikes. This flaw has cost the Czech fighter dearly in two separate bouts against Pereira and could work in Hill’s favor. Do you think Jamahal Hill can get back to winning ways against Jiri Prochazka? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.