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Javier Mendez has opened up about whether his perception of the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev has changed since his showdown with Gilbert Burns. Apparently, Mendez still sees Chimaev as a future UFC champion.
Chimaev was a huge favorite to beat Burns at UFC 273 in April. However, the fight was much closer than expected. Their thrilling war ended with Chimaev winning via unanimous decision. In an edition of The Schmozone Podcast, AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) head coach Mendez addressed the iconic Chimaev-Burns fight and stated:
“No. My perception of him [Chimaev] has not changed. But I think people’s perception of Gilbert Burns has changed. And people should be giving Gilbert props for how great he actually is. And remember, Gilbert’s two big failures, if you wanna call them failures, has been the champ [Kamaru Usman] and Khamzat.”
Mendez alluded to the fact that Burns’ only losses at welterweight have come against the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound UFC fighter, reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, and against Chimaev. Mendez added:
“And no. You’re a warrior like that, you go to war like that, and he comes out victorious like he did? No, no, no. He [Chimaev] is only gonna get better.”
Mendez suggested that although Chimaev has the potential to be a future UFC welterweight champion, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' wouldn’t be looking to give up his throne to ‘Borz’ anytime soon.
Furthermore, Mendez indicated that if Chimaev continues to gain experience at the elite level, akin to the Burns matchup, he could eventually capture UFC gold.
Watch Mendez discuss the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns matchup at the 59:08-minute mark in the video below:
Khamzat Chimaev acknowledged the mistakes he made in his fight with Gilbert Burns
Following his victory over Gilbert Burns, Khamzat Chimaev has been linked to potential fights against Nate Diaz and Colby Covington. Meanwhile, Burns has been pursuing a fight against Jorge Masvidal next. Neither Chimaev’s nor Burns’ respective next opponents have been officially announced yet.
Intriguingly, in an interview with Smesh Bros. in April, Khamzat Chimaev shed light upon the mistakes he made in his fight against Gilbert Burns. ‘Borz’ admitted that he recklessly chased the knockout and only showcased 30 percent of his true potential. Chimaev said:
“This fight got the main event type of hype and I was excited and wanted to KO him. And that was my mistake from the start. I should've worked cleaner. But I will learn from it. It's a great lesson for me."
Watch the full interview with Khamazat Chimaev below:
