CHIMAEV AND BURNS BRING A WAR AT UFC 273

Khamzat Chimaev earned a hard-fought victory over Gilbert Burns to remain undefeated in the UFC. Though it wasn't as easy as his other four fights in the company, this was his biggest test and he passed it with flying colours. Not everything went to plan for Khamzat, he was dropped in the second round and had to overcome adversity to defeat the number two ranked welterweight in the world. The whole idea of this matchup was to see whether Chimaev was really as good as his performances had suggested, coming up against Gilbert Burns, a former title challenger, who certainly made it a tough night. Gilbert is a lot more skilled than any of Chimaev's opponents, posing a threat on the feet with his power, and of course his electric Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to accompany his stand-up.

Both men gave everything in the three rounds, battling back and forth, hoping for a finish. This type of scrappy fight was unknown to Khamzat up until now, who had swept through his matchups and shrugged it off like it was nothing. Burns brought the fight out of him, hitting him with hard shots, troubling him at multiple points across the 15 minutes. Chimaev gave it right back too, dropping Burns with a jab in the first round. His intense pressure was consistent throughout the fight, but Durinho did not crumble at all, returning shots and similar pressure to ensure Khamzat would not get his way. After a tricky first round, Gilbert became the aggressor, constantly moving and throwing offense to disrupt Chimaev's flow. With both of them wanting to take each others head's off, someone was bound to go down again. This time though it was Khamzat, who somehow ate a huge right hand, then got knocked down with the follow up punch. Fortunately for him. the round was coming to an end, giving the undefeated star enough time to recover and enter the third and final round. Chimaev continued his onslaught of pressure, doing enough in the judges' mind's to earn a unanimous decision (29-28 x3). Respect goes out to both of them, Burns didn't have to fight the 11th ranked contender, but he did and took Chimaev to a place he hadn't experienced before. Khamzat, he is an exceptional talent, going to war with Gilbert Burns and coming out with a solid win is very respectable, overcoming and experiencing adversity like that whilst gaining the victory is a massive feather in his cap. Although there have been many critics of Chimaev's display, it's hard to really be critical. This was a big learning experience for him, first of all going 15 minutes with Burns is something, second of all, fighting like he did with such pressure and intention. Thirdly, being knocked down and in serious danger of getting finished, then going into the final round and almost doing the same to Burns? No criticism there at all. Hypothetically, if Khamzat had just walked through Burns and finished him early, questions would still be there left to ask, whether it is about his durability, his cardio or his chin, but some or these were answered against Gilbert. It is also crucial for Chimaev himself to experience these things instead of us just as fans, knowing mentally that he can absorb this damage and battle on is essential for him if he is to pursue championship glory. Improvements are there to be made too from a performance like that, which are ultimately going to make him a better fighter. In terms of what's next for Chimaev, Colby Covington. Dana White said if he beats Burns then Colby is his next fight, it's a logical decision too. I could see the winner facing Usman next (or Leon if he beats Usman for the title). It might be a possibility we see Burns face Sean Brady next, with Brady ranked at number 8, that would be a fight that makes sense too.