UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev isn’t putting UFC 273 adversary Gilbert Burns at the top of his toughest opponent list.
Chimaev will face Burns in a three-round welterweight featured bout at UFC 273. The winner could earn a title shot next with an impressive performance against the winner of Kamaru Usman/Leon Edwards.
Chimaev isn’t lacking confidence ahead of his matchup against the former title challenger Burns. He’s predicted a dominant outing against the second-ranked contender in the division.
Chimaev is the betting favorite against Burns at UFC 273 despite being a few fights into his UFC tenure. During his UFC 273 pre-fight press conference, Chimaev revealed who he believes was his toughest matchup in the MMA cage.
“I think one guy I (met) in Brave, Ikram Aliskerov,” Chimaev said. “He has to be in the UFC. That guy is good. I think he won five (four) fights after me. And that guy really good.”
Ikram Aliskerov fell to Chimaev via a first-round knockout at Brave CF 23. Despite the defeat, Aliskerov has yet to lose a fight since his matchup with Chimaev, which is the only loss on his record.
Chimaev has teased potential title fights against middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Usman happening down the line. While Chimaev doesn’t believe Burns will present much of a challenge, he’ll have the opportunity to prove that he’s ready for the best UFC welterweights at UFC 273.
What do you make of Khamzat Chimaev snubbing Gilbert Burns on his toughest opponent selection?
Continue Reading Khamzat Chimaev Names Toughest Career Opponent & It Isn’t Burns at MMA News.
Khamzat Chimaev Names Toughest Career Opponent & It Isn’t Burns
