Russian-born UFC star Khamzat Chimaev has revealed who he wants to fight next, and when.
Chimaev last stepped inside the Octagon in October 2021 when he took on the biggest challenge of his professional career, Li Jingliang. The two welterweights competed during the UFC 267 main card and “Borz” needed less than four minutes to submit Jingliang with a rear-naked choke.
Chimaev has a record of 10-0 and is currently ranked No. 11 in the promotion’s 170-pound division. And according to a recent tweet from Borz, he’s ready to make a leap up the ladder by taking on the No. 2 contender, Gilbert Burns.
And if Chimaev gets his way, they’ll compete on April 9, 2022, at UFC 273 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Tagging Burn’s official Twitter handle, Chimaev tweeted, “April 9,” along with the shushing face and sleeping face emojis.
Getty/TwitterKhamzat Chimaev & Gilbert Burns
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Burns Bounced Back From a Title Loss Last Year
Burns (20-4) earned his spot at the top of the talent-stacked welterweight division. “Durinho” returned to 170-pounds in 2019, moving up from lightweight. The weight change worked out for Burns as he went 4-0 upon his return, defeating former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, multiple-time title challenger Demian Maia, Gunnar Nelson and Alexey Kunchenko.
His victory over Woodley in May 2020 was enough to grant him a title shot and he challenged Kamaru Usman for the belt in February 2021. Although Burns had success during their bout at UFC 258 by hurting Usman on the feet, Durinho was unable to put away “The Nigerian Nightmare” and he eventually fell to Usman via third-round TKO.
Burns returned in July 2021 and took on striking ace Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 264. It was a great bounce-back win for the Brazilian, dominating Wonderboy on the ground for three rounds.
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Chael Sonnen Believes If Chimaev Beats Burns, He’ll Earn a Title Fight
Even though Chimaev has only beaten one ranked UFC welterweight, Chael Sonnen believes that if Borz defeats Burns, he’ll be next in line for a title fight. Speaking during a recent YouTube video,
“If you can beat Gilbert Burns, which nobody not named Kamaru Usman has been able to do in four years, if you can beat Gilbert Burns, you’re probably fighting for the world title,” Sonnen said via BJPenn.com.
A week after his victory over Jingliang, UFC president Dana White said that Chimaev could be one or two wins away from challenging for the 170-pound strap. But the UFC president wants to see more work from Chimaev inside the cage.
“I don’t know if Chimaev is ready for that yet,” White said of Usman via MMA Fighting. “Chimaev just broke into the top 10 by fighting a No. 11 [ranked contender]. It’s a whole other ballgame when you get into the top 10 and you start fighting [No.] 5 and up. He’s one or two fights away from a possible championship.”
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Khamzat Chimaev Reveals Date & UFC Opponent He Wants