"It's hard to see a good path for this guy"- Gilbert Burns talks about Khamzat Chimaev's unprofessional behavior in the lead-up to UFC 279 and how it might affect his career long term
Gilbert Burns has criticized former opponent Khamzat Chimaev for his actions in the lead-up to last month's UFC 279 event.
Chimaev missed weight for his welterweight matchup against Nate Diaz at UFC 279. Resultantly, three of the event's main card bouts were reshuffled, and 'Borz' eventually faced Kevin Holland in a 180-pound catchweight bout.
Chimaev dominantly defeated Holland via first-round submission. That said, the undefeated fighter earned widespread criticism for what his detractors believe was unprofessional behavior in the buildup to UFC 279.
This was also partly due to Chimaev engaging in a backstage brawl at the UFC 279 pre-fight press conference, leading to the press conference being canceled midway.
Khamzat Chimaev steps on the scale at 178.5 pounds, missing weight ahead of his #UFC279 main event bout. https://t.co/uSbqRUVH83
In an interview with MMA Junkie's Danny Segura, Gilbert Burns was asked about Khamzat Chimaev's 7.5-pound weight miss. Burns responded by addressing Chimaev's weight miss and other issues leading up to UFC 279. 'Durinho' stated:
"I think it doesn't matter how you started, right? It matters how you finish. It doesn't matter if that guy starts so big, so impressive; it matters how you finish. And as we see, as the fight is going, it's not showing good -- I don't know."
He continued:
"The fans might like all the drama, or not making weight, canceling your press conference; a lot of things that." Burns added, "It's hard to see a good path for this guy that's making a lot of mistakes on just the beginning of his career."
Furthermore, 'Durinho' highlighted that Khamzat Chimaev needs people who'd advise him well. Burns suggested that Chimaev is surrounded primarily by fighters who strike his ego and don't guide him to make good decisions. He noted that 'Borz' is still very young and hopes he changes.
Referencing Khabib Nurmagomedov's advice to Chimaev, Burns insinuated that 'Borz' ought to be given proper guidance to help him steer clear of trouble in the long run.
Watch Burns discuss the topic at 7:30 in the video below:
Is a Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns rematch on the cards?
The welterweight showdown between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns witnessed 'Borz' emerge victorious after a back-and-forth war at UFC 273 in April. The consensus is that Chimaev could fight the winner of the trilogy matchup between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title in 2023.
last night!This was WAR 💥
@KChimaev and @GilbertDurinho brought the 🔥 last night! https://t.co/LMklFEpYCX
Meanwhile, Gilbert Burns is rumored to be facing Jorge Masvidal this December. However, their fight hasn't been officially confirmed yet. Considering the aforementioned variables at play, it's believed that a potential Chimaev-Burns rematch is unlikely to materialize in the immediate future.
Nevertheless, both Chimaev and Burns had previously indicated that they'd be interested in fighting one another again someday. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.