How can you say his stock decreased? - Ariel Helwani says Khamzat Chimaev bigger star today than before Gilbert Burns fight

Ariel Helwani (left), Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev (right) [Images via @btsportwwe on Twitter and @ufc on Instagram]

Ariel Helwani believes Khamzat Chimaev's stocks have soared higher after his victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273. While many have questioned Chimaev's invincible image after the tight decision win, Helwani thinks the Swede is a bigger star today than before fighting Burns.

The Canadian-American journalist explained that Chimaev put his full arsenal on display while getting tested to the limit by Burns. Helwani couldn't fathom the notion of Chimaev's hype being dead after 'Borz' defeated one of the perennial top dogs at welterweight. While responding to a fan question, the 39-year-old said during a recent segment of On the Nose:

"He [Chimaev] showed the full arsenal, he overcame adversity, he lost the second round, he was cut, he was rocked, all the stuff. He won fair and square, showed some humilty afterwards, some personality... To me he is a bigger star today than he was a week ago today. He beat one of the best welterweights on the planet. It's Kamaru, it's Colby, it's Leon, it's Gilbert. That's the creme de la creme and he just beat one of them. So how you could say that his stock decreased is beyond me."

Watch Ariel Helwani weigh in on Chimaev's stardom below:

Khamzat Chimaev opened up as a favorite in potential fight against Colby Covington

Leading up to UFC 273, Dana White announced that the promotion would target a bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington if 'Borz' could get past Gilbert Burns. The UFC honcho also revealed that the bout was likely to serve as the headliner for UFC on ABC.

Like every other bout in his UFC career, Chimaev has opened up as an early favorite in a potential bout against Covington. There is one major difference, though - while 'Borz' opened as a -400 favorite against Gilbert Burns, he opened at -200 against Covington, who was a slight underdog at +170 (according to bestfightodds.com). However, the line has already seen a substantial shift, with odds currently at -155 for Chimaev and +135 for Covington.

Eager to throw down against the former interim welterweight champion, Chimaev recently posted a fan-made poster of a potential fight with Covington. However, 'Chaos' is yet to make a statement about the matchup.

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