Daniel Cormier explains why he wants Khamzat Chimaev to face Gilbert Burns next

​

Gilbert Burns (left), Daniel Cormier (center), Khamzat Chimaev (right) [Credits: @gilbert_burns, @khamzat_chimaev via Instagram]

Daniel Cormier recently explained why he would like to see Khamzat Chimaev fight a higher-ranked welterweight like Gilbert Burns.

In a conversation with Ryan Clark, Cormier said:

"For Khamzat Chimaev? It's time to give him one of the higher-ranked guys. And I think the guy that could be good for him, is Gilbert Burns. Because Gilbert Burns has a well-rounded skill set, he's a great wrestler, he's a great jiu-jitsu guy, his stand-up has improved and he's back. Right? So he lost the title fight to Kamaru [Usman] but then he beat Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson and showed that he's back on the winning track, so that makes sense for him."

Gilbert Burns returned to the win column against Stephen Thompson in July after a heart-breaking defeat to welterweight king Kamaru Usman back in February.

Before facing Usman, Burns was on a six-fight winning streak. He convincingly beat some of the notable names in the welterweight division, including Demian Maia, former title holder Tyron Woodley and Gunnar Nelson.

​

Khamzat Chimaev, on the other hand, astounded the MMA community at the recently concluded UFC 267. 'Borz' put on a staggering display of grappling superiority and strength against No.11-ranked Li Jingliang as he submitted him via a rear-naked choke in the first round.

---

Daniel Cormier also suggested Neil Magny and Michael Chiesa as potential opponents for Khamzat Chimaev

Daniel Cormier also went through a list of possible options for Chimaev in the welterweight division. The former double-champ, along with Ryan Clark, suggested Neil Magny would be an ideal opponent for the Swedish prodigy.

"Neil Magny! Neil Magny wants to fight him. Who wants to fight Chimaev? Neil believes that he can beat him," claimed Cormier. "Someone like Neil Magny, getting that win would put his name back in the conversation... so I think for him, it's a win-win situation," stated Ryan Clarke.

Watch Daniel Cormier and Ryan Clark's full video on ESPN MMA below:

​

​