The welterweight showdown between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev last Saturday truly lived up to its hype. Even days after the fight, it’s still a hot topic among the MMA community, with some already nominating it as the fight of the year candidate.
The fight itself left us with various unforgettable moments.
As during the walkout before the fight, the full-of-energy Chimaev immediately stormed into the octagon, outrunning the security guard as soon as he entered the arena. He has also been seen casually sitting on the cage side while waiting for Burns to enter the octagon. And after the octagon door was closed, the two then delivered one of the best three-rounders in UFC history.
While most of us thought the fight would be one-sided like other Chimaev fights, Burns instead proved that we were wrong. With the Brazilian showing heart and determination, he gave the undefeated Chimaev his first taste of adversity.
On the other hand, the “Borz” also showed the world why he’s undefeated, scoring a knockdown and two takedowns against “Durinho”. In the course of three rounds of back-and-forth action, the judges were in agreement on a close but unanimous victory for Chimaev.
The clash really impressed the boss, Dana White, who revealed that he’d give Burns his winnings despite losing. I’m going to give Burns his win money, too. He’s going to get his show and win. “That fight was ridiculous,” White told reporters during the UFC 273 post-fight presser.
It’s one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. It’s one of the coolest fights I’ve ever been to. The place was so loud and people were going crazy. Throughout the week, that fight outperformed both the co-main event and the main event.
“That was one of the greatest fights I’ve ever seen,” he added. And to be a part of it, to be here in the arena, I don’t know how it came off on TV, but holy shit. It was awesome in here. “