Gilbert Burns is looking to drive the hype train of Shemef’s jabs off the rails at UFC 273.
UFC 273 features two important title punches at the top of the card. But the fight between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Schmaev gets as much attention, if not more than the title fights. An accomplished veteran at this point, Burns is up against a tough young fighter in Chimeav with plenty of eyeballs about the outcome. Not only is Burns predicting a win in his favour, but he anticipates ending the highly-touted prospect.
“We’re going to do a test to see if this guy is real,” Burns said during the UFC 273 media conference. “I’m the guy who tested this guy, to stop the noise train. I’ve been the underdog in what, maybe the last five or six fights. I’m coming in and I’m going to defeat this guy.”
The criticism behind the 27-year-old Chimeav is evident as his support swells across the industry. He’s turned four fights in his UFC stint and has stopped every opponent in an impressive fashion. Chimeav’s last match against Li Jingliang at UFC 267 only helped build the excitement as he took the win in under four minutes. But Burns was not deterred from fighting Saturday.
“His first two opponents in the UFC, do you know their names? Which one?” Burns said. “Sure, it’s very difficult to be in the UFC, but they are not Gilbert Burns. They are not at the top of the band. So, with all due respect, sorry if I’m one of those guys, no offense, but I’m at the top of the oath you know?
Burns gets key support from a former opponent in Camaro Usman
Burns has been with the UFC since 2014 and has experienced varying levels of success. Generally, his appraiser record is 13-4. He challenged Kamaru Usman for the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 258, failing at that opportunity. He was able to rebound with a solid win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 264. With the win, Burns might be right in the title picture, but that didn’t stop him from getting help from Usman for this camp.
“To be honest, I took this loss as a man. He hit me, so I don’t have any hard feelings,” Burns said. “The fight was fair and square and I learned two lessons in that fight. He approached us two months ago and said can he come and train. He couldn’t keep it. He was looking at me arguing and came up with pointers. We have a good relationship. We got into the competition and I lost, but it’s not personal.”
UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovsky vs. Korean Zombies takes place on Saturday, April 9, 2022, live from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Follow up with FanSided MMA for all the news and highlights.
[ad_2]
