Gilbert Burns doesn’t see a monster in Khamzat Chimaev.
Burns will look to end the hype train of Chimaev when they clash in a welterweight contest at UFC 273 on Saturday night.
Despite his experience and standing in the welterweight division, Burns is a huge betting underdog with many observers picking Chimaev to come out on top.
Gilbert Burns: Khamzat Chimaev Is Good But Not A Monster
While he does rate Chimaev as a fighter, “Durinho” doesn’t see anything too special either. Especially given who Chimaev has beaten so far.
“Nothing special. I think his wrestling is very good,” Chimaev said during UFC 273 day. “His control, his ground-and-pound is good. And the fact that he’s very long helps too, so he gets good grips, good control, knows where to put the weight. Very technical, hits hard. But the opponents didn’t help as well. Those guys don’t know how to get up. The other ones don’t know how to wrestle. I don’t even know, I got to look it to watch it, but his first two UFC opponents, do you know their name? Anyone? No one knows. For sure, they’re pretty tough to be in the UFC, but they’re not Gilbert Burns.
“They’re not in the top of this division. So, all due respect, sorry for you if you were one of these guys, no offense, but I’m in the top of the division, you know? I give this guy the opportunity. I want to fight him because I believe he’s very good — I don’t see a monster, I see a human being. Confident, a little bit cocky, undefeated, thinks he’s the best, untouchable, but we shall see. We shall see Saturday.”
You can watch the clip below:
Gilbert Burns has decided Khamzat Chimaev is "nothing special" after going through a full training camp.#UFC273 | Full interview: https://t.co/yP6S0xncfT pic.twitter.com/lPUUkyultR
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) April 6, 2022
Burns is coming off a unanimous decision win over Stephen Thompson.
Chimaev, meanwhile, remains undefeated with a 10-0 record and most recently put away Li Jingliang with ease late last year.
The winner of the fight, especially if it’s Chimaev, could end up getting the next shot at current champion Kamaru Usman.
