‘I was able to knock him down’ - Burns doubts Chimaev can hang with heavy hitters

UFC 273: Gilbert Burns v Khamzat Chimaev | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Gilbert Burns is unsure whether Khamzat Chimaev can rely on his wrestling until ‘Borz’ attains UFC gold.

UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns has some negative opinions regarding rising star Khamzat Chimaev. Having shared the Octagon with ‘Borz’ and being the first men to really test the prospect in a 15-minute war that ‘Durinho’ ultimately lost via unanimous decision, the Brazilian does not see a very bright future for his former opponent.

In a conversation with Super Lutas, Burns explained that Chimaev should stop tauting knockout artists in the middleweight division before Khamzat finds himself in a tough situation. In Gilbert’s opinion, based on his own match against Borz, the Swede may not have what it takes to face the upper echelon of the 185-pound weight class.

“I took hiw down, imagine what Poatan can do. If I was able to knock him down (consider Poatan’s power), his hands must be so heavy. I took him down and he is still talk trash to those guys. Poatan’s hands are huge, Borrachinha’s hands are huge,”

Furthermore, Burns also believes that he way Khamzat carries himself has changed over the years. Ever since Khamzat became a star and one of the hottest prospects of the promotion, Durinho thinks the Swede did not know how to handle his rise properly, which has harmed his public persona.

“It’s not that he lost himself,” Burns said. “It’s that he couldn’t find himself. Things happened too fast for him. Three fights in and he was already a star. At first, I really liked him. He would call people out and keep fighting. Then he broke character. He’s unwilling to make weight, he causes trouble. I like the guy who would call anyone out. Who would take any fight.”

In his last outing, Burns (20-5) dropped a unanimous decision to Chimaev, back in April of this year. The victory camer right after a unanimous decision victory over Stephen Thompson, in July 2021.

Now, Burns is expected to take on Neil Magny at UFC 283, on January 21, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The card is scheduled to be headlined by a light heavyweight bout for the division’s vacant title between former champion Glover Teixeira and contender Jamahal Hill.