"Someone is going to get knocked out" - Gilbert Burns explains why he believes Khamzat Chimaev fight could be a striking war
Gilbert Burns recently offered some insight into his upcoming clash against Khamzat Chimaev. He revealed that their clash was going to be a striking contest, as they are equally matched when it comes to grappling and wrestling.
While in conversation with Luis Coutinho, 'Durinho' asserted that when equally skilled wrestlers and grapplers lock horns with each other, they tend to rely on their relatively weaker striking. This is because their skills on the mat are neutralized by that of their opponent.
Building on the same theory, Burns predicted that their scrap was going to be a striking competition. The Brazilian further predicted how the fight would come to an end, putting his money on a finish. He commented by saying:
"Someone is going to get knocked out, my brother, if we stay there in striking. So it's a fight where anything can happen. He is dangerous in striking and has a heavy hand. I'm dangerous in striking and I have a heavy hand. He has very high level of wrestling and good grappling. My grappling is of the highest level and I have good wrestling. So we are evenly matched in stats. So it's a very dangerous fight, brother. Sometimes I think it's going to be a bigger striking fight. I think it's going to be a striking war at times."
Check out Gilbert Burns' interaction with Luis Coutinho right here:
Gilbert Burns reveals how he plans to command respect from Khamzat Chimaev
In the same interview with Luis Coutinho, Gilbert Burns argued that he will have to put on a striking masterclass right from the get-go to earn Khamzat Chimaev's respect.
The Carioca asserted that 'Borz' will go into the fight looking to pressure and dominate him from the first bell. As such, Burns believes he will have to establish some authority inside the octagon by hurting him right from the start.
"I think he won't respect me at first. I think he's going to want to bully me at first, you know? He will want to come putting a lot of pressure. I think boxing has to be very sharp in the beginning to earn that respect early on. If he leaves space, I'll put a very heavy hand right away for him to feel. To fall or to respect me."
Watch a segment of Gilbert Burns' sit-down with Luis Coutinho below:
'Durinho' is all set to lock horns with the Chechen welterweight at UFC 273 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 9. Per UFC president Dana White, this highly anticipated clash is expected to be a No. 1 contender fight.