“I don’t think it’s gonna be easy for me” – Gilbert Burns predicts how UFC 273 fight with Khamzat Chimaev will go

Gilbert Burns gives his thoughts on his upcoming match-up with Khamzat Chimaev.

At UFC 273 next month, Gilbert Burns will attempt to become the first man to defeat Khamzat Chimaev in professional mixed martial arts. With his UFC record currently standing at 4-0, ‘Borz’ has already built up quite the fanbase since making his debut.

Burns, meanwhile, bounced back from his title defeat to Kamaru Usman with an impressive win over Stephen Thompson in his last outing. With a win at UFC 273, ‘Durinho’ hopes to remind the masses that he’s still one of the most elite 170-pounders in the world.

During a recent interview with Helen Yee, Burns gave an honest assessment of how he thinks the fight is going to pan out:

“I see myself winning, for sure, I believe against everyone that I’m fighting that I’m gonna win, but I see it going very hard. In the beginning he might be very strong, I do believe he’s gonna strike a little bit, but I do believe he’s gonna grapple too and try to take me down, wrestle, stay heavy on top with good ground and pound. That’s what I think he’s gonna do, and I will have a lot of answers to the game – takedown defence, getting up, a lot of striking too. I see a war, I don’t think it’s gonna be easy for me, I don’t think it’ll be easy for him. We’re gonna grind down, I see my arm getting raised but it’s gonna be a war,” said Burns.

Watch the full interview below:

The reward for Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev winner

UFC president Dana White has confirmed that Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev is essentially the number one contender fight. While a decision is always possible, both Chimaev and Burns tend to put it all on the line – which is why it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see a definitive finish to really rubber-stamp their right to fight for the belt.

Khamzat Chimaev would be a fresh challenger for Kamaru Usman given that they’ve never faced off before. Gilbert Burns, though, has fought him once before and is also Usman’s former training partner.

Also Read
Article Continues below

With UFC 273 being headlined by two title fights, Burns vs. Chimaev is expected to serve as the third fight on the main card in Jacksonville.