UFC 273 has one hell of a featured welterweight bout between Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev that everyone has been talking about.
Despite being the more accomplished fighter with 7 wins and 1 loss, Burns is coming into this contest as a huge underdog at +400, while Khamzat is the betting favorite at -550.
The Brazilian fighter has only lost to the current welterweight champ, Kamaru Usman back in December 2018. He rebounded from the loss and emerged victorious against Stephen Thompson via decision, in the recent bout.
On the other hand, Khamzat Chimaev has an undefeated streak of 4-0 in the UFC (10-0 overall), while absorbing just two significant strikes since his debut in 2020. But the fact remains that Burns represents a major milestone in his career and without a doubt, this fight will be his biggest test.
Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev size and height difference
Burns stands tall at 5’10” inches with a 71” inch reach. Meanwhile, Chimaev is the taller individual standing at 6ft 2inches with a reach of 75 inches. The massive size and reach advantage of The Chechen could play a significant role in this fight.
Both of the contenders are weighing at 170lbs, but the huge size of Khamzat would mean additional efforts for the weight cut, which has often proved to be the most exhausting process.
‘Durinho’, being a massive underdog, is an undersized welterweight and lacks the wrestling skill to stop the elite grappling of Chimaev. But he is also a well-decorated BJJ player and an above-average striker, which he proved in the title bout against Kamaru Usman.
Although Burns is a very dangerous grappler, it is very unlikely to see him getting out of a ground-and-pound situation, once Chimaev takes him down and starts bashing his head in.
The Chechen has proven to be an absolute anomaly inside the cage, and this weekend, he will be fighting arguably the smallest opponent he has ever faced. The simplest way for Khamzat to win this bout will be to bring his brute power and smash his way to overwhelm Burns as he did with everyone else.
Given his sizable reach and height advantage, and as an accurate boxer, he can work behind his boxing and look to time takedowns/clinches when Burns counters or attempts to close the distance.
“Borz” has barely been hit in his entire career, but Burns has the speed and power to put nearly any welterweight down if he finds a way to land his shots cleanly.
With that being said, this fight would be extremely exciting because both fighters have dominated the division for a while now. And the winner of this matchup would get a ticket to a title fight against Kamaru Usman.