Alexander Volkanovski Believes Khamzat Chimaev ‘Dominates’ Gilbert Burns At UFC 273
Write one-time UFC welterweight title challenger, Gilbert Burns off at your peril, however, reigning featherweight kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski has picked the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev to ‘dominate’ his Brazilian counterpart ahead of their respective outings at UFC 273.
Set to headline the promotion’s pay-per-view return to Jacksonville, Florida on April 9. – undisputed featherweight kingpin, Volkanovski draws the #4 ranked contender, Chan Sung Jung – attempting to secure his third successful featherweight title defense.
The undisputed title clash comes as the event’s curtain closer, after another bantamweight title unification bout between arch-rivals, Aljamain Sterling, and interim titleholder, Petr Yan. And the card also features the high-profile welterweight scrap between Burns and Chimaev.
Burns enters the ‘Sunshine State’ main card tangle off the back of a unanimous decision win over former two-time title challenger, Stephen Thompson, back in July of last year, while Chimaev boasts a 10-0 professional record, most recently stopping Li Jingliang with an October rear-naked choke.
Khamzat Chimaev improved to 4-0 in the UFC back in October, and sits at #10 in the welterweight stack
Opening and remaining currently as a distinct betting favorite over Deerfield Beach-based contender, Burns ahead of UFC 273, the streaking Chimaev has been touted almost throughout his run in the UFC as a potential future champion, and Volkanovski is expecting him to continue his period of prolonged dominance, even when tasked with dislodging Burns from title contention.
“Obviously, he’s (Khamzat Chimaev) got a lot of hype (around him),” Alexander Volkanovski told James Lynch during a recent interview. “ So, people that don’t really know the sport are expecting him to win but people that really do know the sport are probably – ‘Yeah, (Gilbert) Bryan on the ground, you know world champion.’ They’ll be surprised if Chimaev goes out there and just mauls him, and I feel like that’s what’s gonna happen. I feel like that is where Chimaev is at right now. I think he is actually gonna go out there and show some dominant performance which is gonna be pretty incredible against someone like Burns.”
“If he (Khamzat Chimaev) goes out there and does that – I think he’s the real deal,” Alexander Volkanovski said. “I think he’s the real deal, but that’ll really make everyone be like, ‘Oh damn, this guy is the real deal.’ So that’s what I’m expecting. I’m expecting Chimaev to go out there and dominate and it’s no easy task, but I’m just saying that’s how good I think that Chimaev is.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)
Before his spectacularly dominant win over Jingliang back in October on ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi, UAE – Chimaev had knocked back the trio of Gerald Meerschaert, Rhys McKee, and John Philips – all in largely dominant fashion.
