Belal Muhammad Shares Bold Prediction for Khamzat Chimaev vs Gilbert Burns: “finishes him in the second round”
UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad shared his thoughts on the upcoming fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns this Saturday at UFC 273.
Belal Muhammad will be looking to avenge his loss when he faces Vicente Luque in a 170-pound rematch at UFC on ESPN 34. ‘Remember the Name’ will be headlining the card a week after one of the most highly anticipated fights go down when Khamzat Chimaev faces his toughest test yet in Gilbert Burns this Saturday at UFC 273.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Muhammad weighed in on the upcoming bout and shared his thoughts on how the fight would transpire.
“I think Burns finishes him in the second round. Yeah, I don’t think Khamzat is gonna come out there shooting on Burns. I think it’s gonna be more so on the feet and Burns, he throws bombs. He’s not afraid to throw hard.
“I don’t really think it’s gonna be a wrestling match between either one of them, I don’t think either one of them is going to go for the grappling. I think it’s gonna be all on the feet and if Khamzat gets a little bit too long or lazy with his jab or cross, Burns can come over the top.
“Especially with that calf kick too, I think it’s gonna lead to Khamzat having to switch stances maybe and then I don’t know how he is out of southpaw, but your defence usually isn’t as good as when you’re with your orthodox stance.” (h/t BJPenn.com)
Belal Muhammad, Khamzat Chimaev, Gilbert Burns, and the welterweight top contender
UFC welterweight division is quickly becoming one of the most competitive divisions in the sport with a dominant champion Kamaru Usman, who has dispatched top contender Colby Covington twice as well as Jorge Masvidal. The upcoming bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns has been rumoured to be a title-shot eliminator contest.
Belal Muhammad believes that Usman may not return as quickly as he thinks he will. This may open up the possibility of an interim title fight giving the contenders a way to bypass Leon Edwards, who’s slated to face Usman in his return.
While a win against Luque would be great for Muhammad, it may not put him in the mix for title contention immediately. If ‘Borz’ can deliver another signature ‘Khamzat Chimaev’ performance against Burns, he may very well be looking at the next title shot or getting to the top contender fight with someone like Colby Covington.
