5 reasons why Khamzat Chimaev will smash Gilbert Burns at UFC 273
Next weekend sees UFC 273 go down from Jacksonville, Florida, and in one of the event’s biggest fights, Khamzat Chimaev takes on Gilbert Burns.
Chimaev is undoubtedly one of the fastest-rising stars in the UFC, but can he really defeat former welterweight title challenger Burns?
It isn’t likely to be easy for ‘Borz’, as Burns will represent his toughest test to date by far. Despite this, the Chechen-born Swede should still be expected to come out on top.
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With that considered, here are five reasons why Chimaev will smash Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.
#5. Khamzat Chimaev should hold a size and strength advantage over Gilbert Burns come fight time
Despite Gilbert Burns’ recent successes in the welterweight division, the Brazilian has only been fighting there in the UFC for a relatively short period of time, since early 2019.
Prior to this, ‘Durinho’ largely competed in the lightweight division and had plenty of success there, defeating the likes of Alex Oliveira and Olivier Aubin-Mercier. Interestingly, Burns also never missed weight for a fight in the UFC at 155 pounds.
Quite what triggered his move to 170 pounds, then, remains a question mark. Sure, he hasn’t looked outsized in any of his fights at welterweight, but it’s definitely fair to say that he’s one of the smaller fighters in the division, sporting a fireplug-esque physique and standing at just 5’10”.
Khamzat Chimaev, on the other hand, is a huge welterweight who has competed comfortably at 185 pounds before. Unlike Burns, his frame is perfectly suited to welterweight and, if anything, he probably has to cut a substantial amount of weight to make that limit.
Khamzat Chimaev picked up Li Jingliang, carried him over to Dana White, had a quick chat, then decided to choke him out... 😳
You are looking at a seriously scary fighter here who is going to the top. This is COLD! 🥶 sportbible.com/mma/khamzat-ch…
Khamzat Chimaev stands at 6’2” and possesses a 75” reach. This should give him a notable strength and size advantage over Burns in this fight, despite the Brazilian’s heavily muscled physique.
Sure, it’s true that ‘Durinho’ has not yet been outmuscled at 170 pounds, even by Kamaru Usman, but he’s also never fought a welterweight quite as big as Chimaev. There’s a chance that the strength and size of ‘Borz’ may shock him, leading to a win for the prospect.