In a year which has seen some of the most impressive stoppages via submission — particularly in title fights, it’s a stoppage via that method which may have earned its victor his first UFC championship charge, with Khamzat Chimaev finishing ex-champion, Robert Whittaker with a brutal face crank at UFC 308.
Confirmed to compete for gold in his next outing in the Octagon, Chechen-born contender, Chimaev finally made good on his return from a lengthy hiatus back in October, rebooking a title eliminator with former middleweight kingpin and all-round fan-favorite, Whittaker in a familiar setting in Abu Dhabi.