UFC fighter quits on match after vicious punch appears to break his jaw

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UFC fighter quits on match after vicious punch appears to break his jaw

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Jul 11, 2026 10:14 PM ET

UFC fighter Robert Whittaker proved Saturday that his power very much translates to a higher weight class.

Whittaker (28-9-0) made his light heavyweight debut against Nikita Krylov (31-12-0) in the final UFC 329 preliminary card bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The 35-year-old Australian overcame a significant height and reach disadvantage against his Russian opponent to end the match with one vicious blow to the jaw.

And what a strike it was. Whittaker appeared to have shattered Krylov’s jaw with the blow. After taking the shot, Krylov was visibly struggling to move his jaw. He gave himself up near the fence, prompting the referee to call the fight in favor of Whittaker.

CHUNKY ROBERT WHITTAKER

ROUND 3 TKO pic.twitter.com/t96GjRrm58
— ᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴏꜰᴡᴀʀ (@TheArtOfWar6) July 12, 2026

The slow-motion replay captured Krylov getting absolutely rocked by Whittaker’s right-hand haymaker. His face got mushed up as if he were in the Looney Tunes universe.

#UFC329
Robert Whitaker redeeming himself breaking Krylov’s jaw. pic.twitter.com/dPPIF3GKO8
— Davei Boi (@Davei_Boi) July 12, 2026

After one too many blows to the face, the 34-year-old Russian’s jaw understandably isn’t what it used to be. Saturday’s TKO defeat at UFC 329 was the third time in Krylov’s last four fights that he lost via knockout on punches.

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