Gilbert Burns urges Dana White to let him fight Khamzat Chimaev - "Make it happen"
Gilbert Burns continues to lobby for a fight against UFC sensation Khamzat Chimaev. Taking to his official Twitter account, ‘Durinho’ posted a tweet whereby he’s urged UFC president Dana White to set up the bout.
Additionally, Burns – a former UFC welterweight title challenger – suggested that the fight between himself and Chimaev ought to be scheduled for five rounds. Burns’ tweet read as follows:
“Make it happen @danawhite I’m all in! 5 rounds in vs Let’s grappled! @KChimaev @ufc”
🦍 vs 
Let’s grappled! @KChimaev @ufc
Make it happen @danawhite I’m all in! 5 rounds in 🇧🇷 🦍 vs 🐺 Let’s grappled! @KChimaev @ufc https://t.co/aBMYaa18lb
Gilbert Burns’ most recent fight was a unanimous decision win against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson at UFC 264 in July 2021. It marked Burns’ return to the win column after coming up short in his bid to dethrone Kamaru Usman. The pair clashed for UFC welterweight title back in February 2021.
The multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion lost to Usman via third-round TKO at UFC 258. Nevertheless, the consensus is that his impressive victory over ‘Wonderboy’ helped Burns retain his spot amongst the top-tier fighters in the welterweight division.
Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev’s most recent fight was a first-round submission win against Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in October 2021. ‘Borz’ holds an undefeated professional MMA record of 10 wins and 0 losses.
The Chechnya-born Swedish fighter has fought at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC. That said, he’s currently focused on competing at 170 pounds and capturing the UFC welterweight title.
Michael Bisping on rumored fight between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev
For several months, the MMA community has been rife with speculation regarding a possible fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns. Both Chimaev and Burns have consistently maintained that they’d like to fight one another next. The bout is purportedly being targeted for April. However, the UFC is yet to officially announce this matchup.
This much-discussed fight is believed to be pivotal for both welterweights. A win over Gilbert Burns could catapult Khamzat Chimaev into a title fight. Alternatively, a win over the unbeaten ‘Borz’ could significantly boost Burns’ chances of receiving another shot at Usman’s UFC welterweight title.
Late last year, UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping addressed this matchup on an edition of his Believe You Me podcast. ‘The Count’ stated:
“What a great fight. Yes, we saw Khamzat knock out Gerald Meerschaert, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can knock everybody out with one punch. Wrestling-wise, Khamzat is probably the better wrestler and the stronger guy, but do you wanna take Gilbert Burns down to the f***ing ground? Kamaru Usman used to train with him and when they fought he did not play that game at all.”