Gilbert Burns Believes Khamzat Chimaev Can Bounce Back and Become a Champion Again

At UFC 328, fight fans saw probably the biggest upset of the year as Khamzat Chimaev lost for the first time in his career. Notably, he didn’t just lose the fight but the belt as well, as Sean Strickland reclaimed the title. Meanwhile, Gilbert Burns, who knows Chimaev very well and came very close to handing him the first loss of his career when they fought, has now shared his thoughts about his former rival. As per him, Chimaev can come back after his first UFC loss to Strickland.

Gilbert Burns Backs Khamzat Chimaev to Reclaim UFC Gold

‘Durinho’ even thinks Chimaev could become a champion again and maybe win titles in two or three weight classes. But Burns feels ‘Borz’ needs a good team around him. He also thinks changing coaches and training camps too often could hurt him. Burns believes Chimaev did better when he had a stable team in Sweden.

“The only thing that I can watch from the outside and say is I don’t like when he’s changing camps, changing coaches too much. When he fought me, he had that solid general. The guy was in Sweden. He was doing a great job. I think he was doing better. So that’s my personal opinion,” Burns said.

Indeed, Chimaev lost the fight, but it was a very close one. If there was one more round, the fight could have gone his way and he might still be the champion. We have also seen many fighters lose once and then come back even stronger. So, this loss does not mean Chimaev’s story is over.

Khamzat Chimaev Plans to Step Away From Fighting if He Isn’t Booked by December

Chimaev says he could take some time off if he does not get a fight in October or December. He has a lot of injuries to deal with and wants to get them treated. For now, he wants to take care of himself and enjoy some time away from fighting.

“If nothing happens in October or December, I’ll take a little break. I have a lot of injuries that I need to get treated. I just get sick often. I don’t have half of my thyroid gland. I’ve been under anesthesia seven times and had six surgeries— I still have to live my life,” Chimaev said.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see when Chimaev returns. For now, it looks like he could be out for some time. While he is away, Sean Strickland will look to defend his title.