Khamzat Chimaev Vs. Gilbert Burns In The Works For UFC 273
A welterweight showdown between contenders Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns is reportedly in the works for UFC 273 next month.
UFC 273 is slated to take place at the Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL on April 9.
UFC president Dana White made the announcement in a talk with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter.
Chimaev and Burns have called for a fight with one another for months, as both look to earn a title shot in the welterweight division. Chimaev has allegedly been impatient regarding his next fight in the octagon and Burns was one of the few who publically stated he was interested in a fight.
Chimaev is coming off another dominant win over Li Jingliang at UFC 267, earning a first-round submission. He is undefeated in his UFC tenure since signing with the promotion back in 2020.
Chimaev raised eyebrows when he won his UFC debut against John Phillips with a nasty brabo choke. He went on to earn a first-round knockout of Rhys McKee just 10 days later. Chimaev has mostly competed as a welterweight but also took a fight at middleweight against Gerald Meerschaert.
Khamzat Chimaev Vs. Gilbert Burns Is Being Finalized
Burns is coming off of a unanimous decision win over Stephen Thompson last summer at UFC 264. He has been in a holding pattern ever since as he looks to earn another shot against Kamaru Usman.
Before losing to Usman at UFC 258, Burns earned dominant wins at welterweight over the likes of Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia. He began his UFC tenure at lightweight with mixed results.
UFC 273 will be headlined by a featherweight title bout between Alexander Volkanovski and The Korean Zombie. Welterweight contenders Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal will also vy for positioning this weekend at UFC 272.
If Chimaev can get past Burns, he would most certainly be one of the frontrunners for the next title shot. It could only be a matter of time until the rising star gets his coveted shot at a UFC belt.
What is your prediction for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns?
