"That's gonna be the difference in this fight" - Aljamain Sterling gives his take on rumored Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev encounter
Aljamain Sterling believes wrestling could be the decisive factor between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev. The Burns-Chimaev matchup is rumored to be taking place at UFC 273 on April 9th.
In an interview with Helen Yee Sports, the UFC bantamweight champion harked back to Chimaev’s dominant first-round submission win over Li Jingliang at UFC 267. ‘The Funk Master’ stated:
“He’s done that time and time again. I do think that’s what makes him dangerous. He has a very long, lanky frame. He’s explosive; quick twitch muscles. And he has the grappling to go with it; maybe not like Gilbert Burns in terms of like the jiu-jitsu realm. I do think that’s gonna be the difference in this fight. I think he’s going to actually get a little bit tested with his overall grappling, not just the wrestling department, because Gilbert can wrestle. We know he has good jiu-jitsu off of his back.”
Sterling suggested that it's essential for Burns to pace himself against Chimaev, lest he gets tired as the fight progresses. ‘Funk Master’ opined that it would be interesting to see whether the multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion can maintain the same energy output throughout his three-round matchup against Chimaev.
He emphasized that this could also prove to be a difference-maker in the Burns-Chimaev fight. Sterling highlighted that the bout would answer several questions regarding Chimaev – including whether the wrestling savant can take a shot and grapple off his back. ‘Funk Master’ believes that Khamzat Chimaev wouldn’t be able to submit Gilbert Burns as easily as he did his previous opponents.
Watch Aljamain Sterling address the Burns-Chimaev matchup in the video below:
Chael Sonnen sees Khamzat Chimaev earning a title shot if he beats Gilbert Burns
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will likely defend his title in a rematch against Leon Edwards at UFC 276 on July 2nd. Speaking of which, Chael Sonnen recently opined that Khamzat Chimaev could earn the next title shot if he defeats Gilbert Burns.
@GilbertDurinho and @KChimaev eying up a fight in April!
👀 @GilbertDurinho and @KChimaev eying up a fight in April! https://t.co/yPjaqzWKWG
In an edition of Beyond the Fight, Sonnen alluded to the fact that Burns has won seven of his last eight fights. Burns’ lone loss during this time came against UFC welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman. ‘The Bad Guy’ opined that a victory over a top-tier welterweight like Burns could catapult Chimaev into a title fight later this year. Sonnen said:
"If you can beat Gilbert Burns, which nobody not named Kamaru Usman has been able to do in four years, if you could beat Gilbert, you're probably fighting for the world title."
Watch Chael Sonnen speak about Khamzat Chimaev possibly getting a title shot in the video below: