"Khamzat made that fight harder than it should have been" - Khamzat Chimaev's coach reveals how 'The Wolf' abandoned "weeks" long strategy of avoiding dogfight with Gilbert Burns

Andreas Michael (left), Khamzat Chimaev (middle)(Image via Instagram @Khamzat_Chimaev), and Gilbert Burns (right)(Image via Getty)
Andreas Michael (left), Khamzat Chimaev (middle)(Image via Instagram @Khamzat_Chimaev), and Gilbert Burns (right)(Image via Getty)

Khamzat Chimaev's coach, Andreas Michael, deserves some credit for 'The Wolf' finding success in the UFC. Michael is the owner/head coach of Allstars Training.

Before focusing on the upcoming Nate Diaz fight, Chimaev's coach recently opened up about the win against Gilbert Burns.

Chimaev secured his best win yet against Burns at UFC 273 in April. The undefeated Swedish fighter proved his ability to survive a brutal fight and persevere through adversity. 'The Wolf' vs. 'Durinho' was a wild back-and-forth brawl that is arguably the best fight of 2022.

With that said, Michael was not completely satisfied with the win. During an interview with Submission Radio, Chimaev's coach had this to say about the performance:

"Gilbert Burns is an amazing fighter absolutely, but Khamzat made that fight harder than it should have been by wanting to show the public that he wanted to knock the guy out."

He added:

"He should've just put on a boxing clinic there... Gilbert makes dog fights if you let him. He's a rugged, tough veteran, and I wanted to avoid that at all costs. And that was the plan for eight weeks."

Chimaev took many risks against Burns, but it paid off. He remained undefeated and solidified himself as a title contender.

'The Wolf' is now tasked with Diaz's last fight on his UFC contract at UFC 279.

Watch Khamzat Chimaev's coach interview with Submission Radio below:

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Andreas Michael wants Khamzat Chimaev to "put on a clinic" against Nate Diaz

Chimaev's next fight comes with a weird storyline. Diaz has been open about not wanting to return to the UFC after his contract is over, with one fight left. Hence, the UFC has decided to schedule him against the undefeated savage, in what could be an attempt to decrease his value before leaving.

During the same interview, Michael had this to say about what he wanted from Chimaev in this fight:

"With Nate Diaz now, I want us to stick to the script and just put on a clinic."

With a win against Diaz, Chimaev will likely be next up for a title shot against the winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards.

'The Wolf' continues to grow his fanbase and remains focused on his goal of becoming a two-division UFC champion.

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Edited by Aditya Singh