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Daniel Cormier has asserted that a potential fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns will be a significant matchup for both welterweights.
Speaking to co-host Ryan Clark on ESPN MMA’s DC & RC show, Daniel Cormier explained that Khamzat Chimaev fighting Gilbert Burns could have major title implications in the welterweight division. 'DC' stated:
“I love the fight, RC. I absolutely love the fight. I love the fight for Gilbert Burns. I love the fight for Khamzat Chimaev. Because, Gilbert Burns, since going up to welterweight, has been nothing short of spectacular. Even the fight against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson showed that he is entrenched at number-two. He’s one of the very best welterweights in the world.”
“And for us, when we watch Khamzat, we need to see him in there with that upper echelon of guy to see if he’s really ready. Because, people at this point are okay if you just said, ‘Khamzat, you’re fighting (Kamaru) Usman.’ But we just don’t know yet, right? Because, we haven’t seen him deal with adversity – We haven’t seen him have to overcome – And we just may not. I mean, he may be so good that we may not see that until he gets in there with the champion. I don’t know. But a lot of questions will be answered when he fights Gilbert Burns because ‘Durinho’ is too good to not deal him some of those things that we need to see from an up-and-coming challenger like that.”
Furthermore, Daniel Cormier indicated that there isn’t much fight footage of Khamzat Chimaev for people to study because he’s simply dominated everyone.
'DC' noted that Chimaev won’t do that to Gilbert Burns. If he does, then it’d be safe to say that 'Borz' is a legitimate threat to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Moreover, the two analysts agreed that a win for Chimaev would earn him a title shot right away. Meanwhile, a win for Burns would shorten his path back to a shot at the title that’s currently held by Usman, who defeated him earlier this year.
Watch DC and RC discuss a potential Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns matchup in the video below:
Leon Edwards is likely to leapfrog Khamzat Chimaev and face Kamaru Usman for UFC welterweight gold
The Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight is reportedly in the works for January 2022 but hasn’t been officially confirmed yet.
If the fight does materialize, the No. 10-ranked UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev will have the opportunity to defeat the No. 2-ranked Gilbert Burns. A win over Burns would surely catapult ‘Borz’ into a title fight.
Nevertheless, many, including Daniel Cormier and Ryan Clark, believe that the No. 3-ranked Leon Edwards is likely to fight Kamaru Usman next. Edwards has consistently faced top-tier opponents in the UFC and is unbeaten in his last 10 fights. Presently, it’s unknown who will fight for the UFC welterweight title next.
