Gilbert Burns has posted an image to social media revealing that his training camp has officially started. This supports recent reports that he will face off against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 in April. Chimaev is one of the most hyped prospects in the sport today but Burns represents a significant step up compared to the calibre of his recent opponents. The post from Burns indicates that the fight is on which is exciting news for UFC fans around the world.
Training camp officially started! pic.twitter.com/trWgDYEIBZ
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) January 31, 2022
Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev (10-0) has dominated every bout that he has been a part of since making his UFC debut in 2020. “Borz” has shown that he has one punch knock out power as well as suffocating grappling ability. Chimaev’s UFC 267 demolition of Jingliang Li put the division on notice and has potentially earned him a shot at a top contender. The Chechen Swede’s fighting ability is complemented by the trash-talking skills that have flung him into mainstream attention. However, Gilbert Burns (20-4) will be the toughest test of Chimaev’s short career. Burns is a 3rd-degree Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt and also has six wins by way of knockout.
There are so many unknowns regarding Chimaev’s true skills coming into this bout that it is impossible to predict which way the contest will go. Chimaev will gain confidence when watching Burns’ loss to Kamaru Usman where the Brazillian was dropped by a jab from the champion. However, Burns has excellent defensive wrestling and is a skilled boxer, meaning that there are no glaring weaknesses in his game. Chimaev will also enjoy an eleven cm reach advantage, which could play a part if Burns’ gameplan will be grappling based.
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