UFC 273 free fight: Khamzat Chimaev chokes out Li Jingliang in Round 1

In his toughest test to date on paper, Khamzat Chimaev made it look easy.

Chimaev was matched up with his first ranked opponent in the octagon, and it didn’t take long for him to send a message to the rest of the welterweight division.

The undefeated rising star needed less than a round to submit Li Jingliang this past October at UFC 267. Chimaev carried Jingliang from one side of the octagon to the other to have a conversation with UFC president Dana White. Then he slammed him down and cinched in a rear-naked choke.

Chimaev (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) returns to action April 9 when he takes on former title challenger Gilbert Burns (20-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) at UFC 273 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

Before he faces Burns, relive Chimaev’s finish of Jingliang in the video above.