Khamzat Chimaev Reflects On UFC 273: “I Tasted The Blood And Wanted To Finish Him (Gilbert Burns)”
Khamzat Chimaev reflects on abandoning the game plan during his recent win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.
About three weeks separated from UFC 273, Chimaev, shared his thoughts on his winning efforts against Gilbert Burns. In one of the most anticipated bouts of the year, the 27-year-old fighter (who turns 28 tomorrow) took on the former title challenger and at the time second-ranked contender at welterweight in the people’s main event of the night.
In an interview with Smesh Bros, Chimaev talked about his mindset during the fight. On being probed by the interviewer about abandoning his game in search of a knockout win, he stated.
“Yeah, that was it,” Chimaev said in agreement. “When I knocked him down, I tasted the blood and wanted to finish him. And I forgot about rounds and time. I couldn’t think of defense and control my emotions. So I was all over the place.”
Khamzat Chimaev compares to Khabib Nurmagomedov
There were plenty of memorable moments from the fight. A photo of Khamzat Chimaev sitting atop the cage waiting for his opponent to walk out right before the start of the action went viral. The interviewer asked the Chechen whether he had planned to sit on top of the cage before the fight.
Making a subtle reference to the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov, Chimaev called himself the “flying hawk” as he explained his mindset of just wanting to enjoy himself in the cage. It certainly looked like he was having fun, almost like he was waiting for a bus with such a calm demeanor before the fight.
Another person who made headlines from the night was the renowned coach Andreas Michael who was in Chimaev’s corner that night. A clip of Michael howling at Chimaev between rounds grabbed the attention of many on the internet. The All-Stars Sweden head honcho Michael later revealed that he was pleading with his fighter to “stop brawling” and focus on the game plan they had practiced.
