The Chimaev-Burns bout, according to UFC president Dana White, generated the most buzz at the event, and these outstanding warriors certainly lived up to expectations. Fifteen minutes of superb fighting were seen in total, with Khamzat Chimaev receiving a unified decision (29-28 x3).
Gilbert Burns (20-5-0, 13-5 UFC) was a huge underdog heading into this bout, but he proved that the second-ranked contender should never be taken lightly. “Durinho” showed power, a full set of abilities, and threatened Chimaev more than any of his prior opponents in his career combined. Chimaev earned his 11th victory and remained undefeated in competitive bouts for the first time in his career.
Chimaev, on the other hand, has not avoided going to the ground floor. He immediately overreached Burns and began fights on the ground level. The fighters, however, quickly returned to their feet. Burns’ low kicks were accurate, but Chimaev outboxed him when it came to boxing combinations. Burns, who is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, won the bout in the first round. Burns scored well during the counterattack at one point. Chimaev briefly went to the ground after an exchange of blows, but he rose up immediately. Khamzat effectively hits the front straight with his right hand and sends Burns to the floor with a powerful punch just before the round’s end. The Chechen continued pounding him on the ground for another minute or so, but Burns kept fighting and eventually prevailed. After five minutes into the fight, Lutalo “Durinho” made his entrance.
Burns, on the other hand, began his second round with a series of front direct blows from Chimaev, and Burns at one time responded well to the right punch and somewhat shook him. Khamzat pressed forward, and Burns attempted to take down the single leg. The Brazilian was nowhere near it; instead, Chimaev easily neutralized that effort. However, the crowd quickly rose to their feet. Burns violently attacked his opponent and leaped on top of him with force. Khamzat countered by shaking Chimaev violently but mostly missed.
well gilbert burns almost got disqualified. #UFC273 pic.twitter.com/8iT4udftrJ
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) April 10, 2022
Burns fought against a popular opponent, demonstrating that Chimaev is not as untouchable as many had believed. Burns attempted to takedown Khamzat in the second half of the round with a double leg, but he again easily defended the attack. The fighters quickly returned to their feet, and Burns extended an offer for fresh confrontations with a grin on his face. In Jacksonville, we witnessed a fantastic bout.
At the end of the round, we witnessed an incredibly exciting few seconds. When Chimaev appeared to shake Burns, the Brazilian responded quickly and Chimaev was shaken once again. The Brazilian sent Khamzat to tol with strong right kicks, then almost sent an illegal kick, and Chimaev knocked him down with a double leg takedown. After the bout, it’s clear that Burns’ shot was a mistake.
Burns tried to attack in the third round, but Chimaev has a bigger wrestling advantage over Burns. Burns’ face was getting more bloodied in the third round as “Borz” performed better with the front direct. Khamzat did a good job with the front direct in the third round, and Burns’ face was becoming more bloody. After the conclusion of the second round, Michael Kruse’s partner “Borz” was more mature and cautious, yet Burns was likewise very active in this stage of combat.
Chechen, on the other hand, was progressing most of the time. Burns, on the other hand, would have excellent assaults from time to time in which he would strike with “overhand” and right crochets. It was an outstanding 15 minutes between two top welters.
Soon, Chimaev will make a significant improvement in the standings. He was 11th in the rankings of prospective opponents on the eve of the bout, and Dana White said he would face Colby Covington, who is first in the challenger ranking if he wins. Chimaev has won five times in UFC, but he turns out to be quite fragile as well.
UFC 273 – results
The main part of the event:
Alexander Volkanovski def. Chan Sung Jung via TKO – R4, 00:45
Aljamain Sterling def. Petr Yan via split judge’s decision (48-47 x2, 47-48)
Khamzat Chimaev def. Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision
Mackenzie Dern def. Tecia Torres via split judge’s decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Mark Madsen def. Vinc Pichel via unanimous judge’s decision (30-27 x2, 29-28) (live blog)
Preliminary part of the event:
Ian Garry def. Darian Weeks via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Anthony Hernandez def. Josh Fremd via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Raquel Pennington def. Aspen Ladd via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Mike Malott def. Mickey Gall via KO – R1, 03:41
Aleksei Oleinik def. Jared Vanderaa via sub (scarf hold) – R1, 03:39
Piera Rodriguez def. Kay Hansen via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Julio Arce def. Daniel Santos via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
