Khamzat Chimaev has agreed to fight former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns on April 9.
Chimaev (10-0 MMA) last competed at October’s UFC 267 event, where he needed less than a round to dispose of ranked welterweight Li Jingliang. That contest was Khamzat’s first since September of 2020, where he had scored a sensational 18-second knockout win over Gerald Meerschaert (see that here).
As for Gilbert Burns (20-4 MMA), the former UFC welterweight title challenger most recently competed at July’s UFC 264 event where he earned a unanimous decision victory over Stephen Thompson.
After reports of a potential ‘Chimaev vs. Burns’ matchup first surfaced in November, “Borz” recently took to social media where he revealed that he and “Durinho” have agreed to throw down on April 9.
“April 9?” – Burns questioned Chimaev in his DM’s.
“Yes let’s go brother 💯 🤝 “ – Khamzat Chimaev replied.
While the UFC has not yet announced the bout as being official, it is definitely a fight that makes sense.
If Khamzat Chimaev could defeat Gilbert Burns he would be in prime position for a future title shot against reigning division champion Kamaru Usman. On the other hand, if “Durinho” could derail the hype train of “Borz”, he too would have a case for a second crack at “The Nigerian Nightmare”.
