"Just shows Kamaru's character" - Vicente Luque on Kamaru Usman helping Gilbert Burns prepare for Khamzat Chimaev
Vicente Luque recently offered his take on Kamaru Usman's decision to help former opponent Gilbert Burns train for his upcoming clash against Khamzat Chimaev.
'The Silent Assassin' noted that it must take a lot for a fighter and champion to help a competitor achieve success in his own division.
While in conversation with Marc Raimondi for ESPN MMA, the No.4-ranked welterweight hailed Usman's humble nature and willingness to help his contemporaries.
"I think that just shows Kamaru's character, you know. It shows what kind of man he is. He's not a guy that is gonna hold whatever little things that happened before or fought somebody and he's gonna hold that in a, I don't know, in a bad way, you know. He can go in there and just be humble and try to help everyone, especially a guy like Gilbert. They were really close and now, apparently, they are again."
Check out Vicente Luque's interaction with Marc Raimondi right here:
Luque went on to explain the nature of the relationship shared by Burns and Usman. Although the duo locked horns at UFC 258, Luque revealed that the pair are the furthest thing from enemies.
In fact, the Brazilian asserted that the two have grown closer since 'The Nigerian Nightmare's main event win against Burns last February.
Khamzat Chimaev harks back to his younger days in recent post
Khamzat Chimaev recently took to Instagram to share a picture of himself from back in 2013.
Fans were treated to a rare image of a seemingly 18-year-old 'Borz' alongside one of his comrades. The duo are seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a gym.
Burns and Chimaev are hurtling towards each other as they get set to lock horns at UFC 273 on Saturday, April 9. The action is set to unfold at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Khamzat Chimaev is currently coming off a decisive win against Li Jingliang. The duo shared the octagon back in October 2021 at UFC 267. Chimaev managed to finish Jingliang in the first round, recording his fourth consecutive UFC win in the process.
Over the course of his relatively short stint in the promotion, Khamzat Chimaev has finished every single opponent he's faced inside the octagon. The only man to reach the second frame was John Phillips. 'Borz' faced Phillips in his promotional debut and dispatched him in the second round via submission.