"If I'm the promoter, that's the fight to make" - Gilbert Burns discusses what should be next for Khamzat Chimaev
Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev met inside the octagon in April for one of the best scraps of 2022 thus far. 'Durinho' tested the rising superstar tremendously, but the Russian-born fighter came out with a unanimous decision win at UFC 273. Now that 'Borz' has silenced his doubters, the MMA world waits for his next opponent.
Watch Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev embrace each other after their fight at UFC 273 below:
What. A. Fight. 👏
Khamzat Chimaev (-510 ML) defeats Gilbert Burns by decision in #UFC273 https://t.co/tFDdcT7x5A
Rumors have circulated about Chimaev potentially fighting Colby Covington, but 'Chaos' may not be interested. During an interview with Brendan Schaub on Food Truck Diaries, Burns had this to say about who he would match 'Borz' with:
"I just have a feeling Colby is not gonna accept that fight. It's supposed to be. That's the next step. If I'm the promoter, that's the fight to make. I just don't think Colby is going to accept."
Chimaev had a lot of doubt put on him going into UFC 273 about his cardio and lack of elite opponents. However, by beating Burns, 'Borz' has proved the hype is real. Now holding a UFC record of 5-0, the Russian-born fighter seems one fight away from a title shot against Kamaru Usman.
Dana White has recently shown interest in a Chimaev vs. Covington matchup, and quite frankly, the fight makes complete sense. 'Borz' has continued to beat increasingly better competition and needs one more win before a title shot.
Meanwhile, 'Chaos' is the No.1-contender and also needs another win to secure a title shot. The best option is to put these two in the cage, with the winner fighting Usman for the UFC welterweight championship next.
Watch the full Gilbert Burns interview with Brendan Schaub below:
Gilbert Burns gives a list of fighters he wants to fight
After discussing who Chimaev should fight, Burns focused on his next matchup. Although nothing is official, the welterweight division has several options now that 'Durinho' has skyrocketed in value with his three-round war at UFC 273. During the same interview with Brendan Schaub, the Brazilian had this to say about the list of fighters he wants to fight next:
"My list is Nate [Diaz], Nick [Diaz], that's number one. Then Masvidal, then Poirier, I threw everyone on the list. Then I put Conor [McGregor] on the list. I put Colby [Covington] on that list."
Although Burns listed all of the possible options, every one of those matchups is intriguing. It shouldn't be too hard to find 'Durinho' a dance partner after his thrilling fight last time out. At 35 years old, the Brazilian is still ready to scrap his way to another title shot.
#FoodTruckDiaries with @BrendanSchaub was fun thanks for have me go take a look guys 👀👀
youtu.be/9a52fEB_e2w https://t.co/5MVrSsaPuK
For additional updates in the MMA world, please check out the video below: