On the undercard of UFC 273, we have a clash of two welterweight fighters looking to make a huge statement. The number 2 ranked welterweight, Gilbert ‘Dorinho’ Burns looks to take on unbeaten Chechen phenom, 11th ranked Khamzat ‘Borg’ Chimaev.
Massive Welterweight Showdown with Title Fight Implications
Despite the card being loaded with the main events of Alexander Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie for the featherweight title and Aljamain Sterling in a rematch against Petr Yan for the undisputed bantamweight championship, it is Burns and Chimaev that has fans tuning in.
The intrigue of the fans are in large part due to the potential performance Chimaev will have on Saturday against the toughest test of his young career.
The UFC fans and brass see Chimaev as the “next big thing” in the organization, as he has taken the welterweight division by storm in his last four fights. All four of his bouts have come to an end with him earning stoppage victories. Throughout these four fights he has only absorbed one significant strike. Professionally, Chimaev is 10-0 with all of his victories coming by way of finish.
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Gilbert Burns, a proven veteran of the fight game, is the perfect man to test the young prospect. Many would tend to avoid the high risk low reward of fighting a guy like Chimaev; however, Burns sees it differently as he plans to stop “the hype train”.
It was not too long ago in 2020 where Gilbert Burns was having a fighter of the year campaign as he amassed a six fight win streak which included wins over the likes of Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia, and Tyron Woodley. Those wins earned Burns a shot at welterweight gold against champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. Though in a losing effort, Burns regained form in a win against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson at UFC 264.
A Toss Up
Chimaev’s biggest knock is his lack of experience with elite level competition. Certainly, Gilbert Burns checks that box for Chimaev’s resume. Of course, this is true only if Chimaev leaves the Octagon with a victory.
Burns, a strong jiu-jitsu talent, brings power in both hands and can keep the pace of a fight for well over 15 minutes.
All the perfect ingredients to see either Gilbert Burns prove the “upset win” was not so improbable or Khamzat Chimaev to enter his name into the Kamaru Usman sweepstakes.
UFC 273’s main card starts at 10 PM EST and is available for purchase on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+.
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