"Any a**hole who said that doesn't think the kid is human" - Dana White on fans slamming Khamzat Chimaev for looking 'human' against Gilbert Burns
Dana White slammed those who criticized Khamzat Chimaev for going the distance against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.
Chimaev and Burns squared off in a barnburner, landing significant blows to one another.
'Borz' came off a dominant first-round submission victory over came, while Gilbert Burns scored a unanimous decision victory over fellow former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson.
Many critics and fans thought Chimaev would run through Burns and the fight would be finished in the second round.
However, winning by unanimous decision against the No.2-ranked welterweight was not enough for the fans as many of them said Chimaev is "not as good as they thought".
At the post-fight conference, White slammed those comments:
"Well, he's human. I mean any a**hole who said that doesn't think the kid's [Khamzat Chimaev] a human being. He just beat the No.2 welterweight in the world in the UFC, with a couple of fights in the UFC. If you don't think he's the real deal, you're out of your mind."
Watch Dana White's post-fight conference at UFC 273 below:
Dana White likens Khamzat Chimaev’s rise to Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey
Undefeated welterweight contender Khazmat Chimaev extended his MMA record to 11-0 with a win over Gilbert Burns.
For many, 'Borz' did not live up to his hype, but for others, such as UFC president Dana White, the 27-year-old Sweden-based fighter may see himself as the next huge superstar.
In the post-fight presser, White compared Chimaev’s rise to two of his company’s biggest names: Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey.
“Yeah, he’s gone that fast [as McGregor and Rousey]. Fight Island, remember that? He said, ‘I wanna fight again next week.’ I said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’ And ever since then, he’s been like a rocket ship. I think he’s got three and a half million followers on Instagram. You saw what happened tonight. Think about this, when’s the last time you saw a guy come out of nowhere? Nobody knows who he is, comes out of nowhere, then fights a couple of fights then fights the number two ranked guy in the world. And wins."
White also mentioned a possible matchup between Chimaev and two-time title contender Colby Covington to headline the upcoming UFC on ABC card.