"You don't have a lot of footage to turn to" - Chael Sonnen explains why beating Khamzat Chimaev is a "big problem"
Chael Sonnen who is a martial arts veteran and a former UFC fighter has explained why beating Khamzat Chimaev seems to be a "big problem". Chimaev, currently 4-0 in the UFC, will be returning to the octagon in April for a showdown against Gilbert Burns.
ufc.ac/3rAXUe0 ]
The fight everyone has been asking for đź‘€
@GilbertDurinho vs @KChimaev
[ #UFC273 | April 9 | @VyStarVetArena | Tickets đź”— ufc.ac/3rAXUe0 ] https://t.co/6qrDJ7Wss6
Chimaev's upcoming bout against 'Durinho' promises to be the biggest fight of his career so far. However, in a recently uploaded video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen claimed that the lack of fight footage for Chimaev is one of the reasons why it is so hard to beat the Russian-born Swedish fighter. Sonnen said:
"This is a big problem beating Chimaev right now, you don't have a lot of footage to turn to. You could go and watch every fight that he's had that's been televised, that's going to take you the same five minutes that everybody else, that's not much time. You watch us walk out in his interviews, you haven't killed a half hour. You watch every fight, in every sequence and rewind before he throws a jab, what is the first thing he does? Before he throws in a cross, which way does he lean? I mean these are tendencies that everybody wants to look for. Before he shoots the double leg, what is he does? If you go look Chimaev's very last fight, he walked across the ring and he shot a double, he had no setup whatsoever. He had no tail, he had no gimmick, he doesn't hit you with this foot first, he doesn't blink before he does. He walked right across, he grabs you with a double. The second that you're within arm's reach, it's very problematic. You've got to deal with it, everybody's got to deal with it."
Watch Chael Sonnen speak on Khamzat Chimaev in the following video:
Gilbert Burns discusses what it's like to be overlooked for upcoming fight against Khamzat Chimaev
Considering his unbeaten record in the UFC, Khamzat Chimaev is a big favorite to walk out with the win against Gilbert Burns.
In an interview with Chisanga Malata, 'Durinho' was asked for his views on Chimaev being the favorite. It is safe to say that the former UFC welterweight title challenger is as confident as ever. He said:
"I’m gonna win this fight, and I don’t think it’s gonna be by decision. It’s gonna be a finish. The media, the fans, the odds; you know, I couldn’t care as much. So, sometimes, it’s good to be under the radar. But to be honest, it’s not even the case. I’m just focused on my performance – go out there and do the best against a tough guy. And I do believe I’m gonna win this fight, and I don’t think it’s gonna be by decision. It’s gonna be a finish.”
Spoke to Gilbert Burns (@GilbertDurinho) about his UFC 273 showdown with Khamzat Chimaev.
He’s not paying attention to what fans, media members and oddsmakers are saying about the bout and is confident he’ll “finish” Chimaev.
A snippet of our chat. https://t.co/bUGkC2Vxr3
Burns and Chimaev will fight on April 9 in Jacksonville, Florida at UFC 273. The same pay-per-view will also feature two title fights, with the main event featuring Alexander Volkanovski defending his UFC featherweight title against 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung.