Gilbert Burns vs. Khamazat Chimaev: Match Up Conclusion
Gilbert Burns is one of the most experienced active UFC welterweight fighters at the top level of the game today. Burns is a very high level grappler and possess KO power. With that being said, Burns competed in his last fight at 155lbs in 2019.
Khamzat Chimaev, in contrast, has never competed in a lightweight fight and never will as he’d never be able to lose that amount of weight and compete at a high level. Khamzat is much larger than his opponent and also has lots of grappling accolades.
In terms of opposition (obviously to be taken with ‘a grain of salt’) Khamzat has faced a grappler in Meerschaert with much longer reach than Burns (77.5″) and KO’d him. Chimaev has also faced a striker in Jingliang that is around Gilbert’s size (6’0″, 72″) and submitted him.
Where as Gilbert’s path to the welterweight title was against men that match up well against him, like Nelson (5’11”, 72″), Maia (6’1″, 72″) and Woodley (5’9″, 74″), he struggled and was finished by a longer fighters that can strike, in Kamaru Usman (6’0″, 76″) and Dan Hooker (6’0″, 75.5″).
Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev is sure to be a good fight, with Burns holding the fight experience and Chimaev holding literally everything else in terms of physical attributes.
