UFC star Khamzat Chimaev proved he was human when he squared off against a former title challenger.
Khamzat Chimaev was virtually unbeatable over the first few fights of his UFC career, blazing through the competition at an unprecedented rate. But Chimaev faced adversity for the first time in his UFC career when he took on Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.
Chimaev and Burns featured on a stacked card at UFC 273 in Jacksonville, headlined by then-UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski facing The Korean Zombie in the main event.
Chimaev vs. Burns was expected to steal the show at UFC 273, and it delivered with one of the UFC’s all-time greatest slugfests.
Khamzat Chimaev got dropped for the first time in UFC 273 scare
Chimaev scored the first points of the fight in the opening minutes, knocking down Burns with a stiff jab and controlling him with his smothering wrestling. But Burns was able to limit the damage and get to Round 2, when the tide began to turn.
Burns was able to stuff Chimaev’s takedowns and force the fight upright, landing big leg kicks and slowing Chimaev’s advances. Chimaev’s fans and team all expressed a universal gasp as Burns landed a blistering overhand right that dropped the undefeated star, and Chimaev appeared on the cusp of his first career setback.
But as seconds ticked in the second round, Chimaev was able to clinch with Burns as the buzzer sounded, and a visibly stunned Chimaev wobbled to his corner. Many wondered whether or not Chimaev would be able to fight for much longer after taking Burns’s biggest punch.
Chimaev bounced back in a big way in Round 3, and the fight made it the full distance. After three rounds of high-octane action, Chimaev walked away with the unanimous decision win by a razor-thin margin.
Chimaev was scheduled to headline UFC 279 just months later against Nate Diaz, before a botched weight cut forced him out of the main event slot. He went on to defeat Kevin Holland by first-round submission before making the full-time transition to middleweight.
Khamzat Chimaev’s toughest test is expected to be against a current titleholder
After middleweight wins over former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker, Chimaev is the likely next title challenger to Dricus du Plessis‘s reign. The fight is expected to take place sometime this summer, at the earliest, or for the UFC’s targeted return to Abu Dhabi in the Fall.
Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland in a UFC 312 rematch earlier this year, setting aside their rivalry and turning the focus on a clash with Chimaev. But du Plessis is supremely confident he can stop Chimaev’s meteoric rise.
If Chimaev’s fight with Burns taught us anything, it’s that anyone is beatable. Chimaev has grown immensely since the Burns fight and looks to cap off his undefeated run with a world championship.
