"When you face experienced veterans, it's a whole different playing field" - Neil Magny claims Gilbert Burns fight showed Khamzat Chimaev can be beat
Khamzat Chimaev's fight against Gilbert Burns was largely hailed as an eye-opener to the 'humanity' of Khamzat Chimaev.
The welterweight was on an unbelievable winning streak of absolutely dominating performances, deeming himself an untouchable, scary fighter. However, that changed when he fought Gilbert Burns, as Burns gave Chimaev a run for his money. UFC welterweight Neil Magny, too, took away the same reading from their fight.
Magny recently appeared at the UFC Vegas 57 presser, where he was asked about the meteoric rise of fighters like Chimaev and Magny's upcoming opponent, Shavkat Rakhmonov.
15-0! 🇰🇿
@Rakhmonov1994 faces the always tough Neil Magny at #UFCVegas57 on Saturday! https://t.co/Ld3h6DXQtD
While Magny did appreciate what these fighters have been able to accomplish, he added:
"The Khamzat fight against Gilbert Burns is a perfect example of it. Like, he went from absorbing three shots over the course of his first three fights in the UFC to literally getting beat up for three rounds against a guy like Gilbert Burns."
Describing where the difference lay for Khamzat Chimaev vis-a-vis his fight with Gilbert Burns as compared to others, Neil Magny said:
"In my opinion, these athletes are great athletes, but when you face other great athletes or experienced veterans like myself or Gilbert Burns, it's a whole another playng field."
Watch the full interview below:
UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad highlights the missing factor in Khamzat Chimaev's fight against Gilbert Burns
Belal Muhammad, too, resonated with Neil Magny's thoughts in a recent episode of Food Truck Diaries w/ Brendan Schaub.
Muhammad explained how fighting in the top five amplifies the importance of fighting with strategy. Speaking in the context of the Chimaev vs. Burns fight, he said:
"I saw weaknesses in him. Obviously people are like, 'Oh man, he's not as good as we thought he was.' But I'm like, 'yo, he showed that he had the chin, he showed that he got power,' and it's like, you're fighting Gilbert Burns... When you get to the top five, if you're not fighting with a strategy, you're gonna lose to the good guys."
Indeed, the fact that Khamzat Chimaev could walk over most of his opponents leading up to his fight with Gilbert Burns may have been a considerable factor in his distorted conception of how the fight would go down.
Who should Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns fight next?
https://t.co/8ZlQWPjRmJ
However, Chimaev did bag the "W" against one of the toughest contenders in the division. So whatever lies next for 'Borz' promises excitement.
Watch Belal Muhammad on Food Truck Diaries below: