Gilbert Burns speaks on this Saturday’s headliner between Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279.
Gilbert Burns was last to share the Octagon with rising star Khamzat Chimeav. The two welterweights went to war with constant action across three rounds, with Chimeav taking the decision win. A win over Burns was huge for Chimeav as this was his highest-level opponent yet. However, many critics have said that Chimeav “looked very human, and beatable” during this fight.
Gilbert’s Thoughts on the Fight
Burns said, “I think the first two rounds are gonna be very rough for Diaz, but the veteran that he is and a lot of experience, I hope he gets through those two rounds, and then I think the fights going to turn to the other side.” He went on to say, “I do believe if we fight again, I’m going to beat him.” If anyone has a good idea of Khamzat’s weaknesses, Burns would be at the top of that list. The general consensus is Chimeav to win early or Diaz late. Nate Diaz is known for his cardio and late-round takeovers. In his last fight in June 2021, he went the distance with (now champ) Leon Edwards, where the main talking point of the fight was Diaz rocking Edwards in the fifth.
An Underdog Story
Diaz is no stranger to being an underdog, he currently is a +725 underdog coming into UFC 279, where Chimeav stands at a -1200 favourite. Back in 2016, Diaz faced off against Connor McGregor in a fight where most fans counted him out. The fight lasted just two rounds of the scheduled five, with Diaz winning via rear naked choke. Since then, Diaz only had four fights, and lost three of them. This will be Diaz’ last fight on his UFC contract, where he looks to halt Khamzats momentum, and leave to start his own fight promotion.
Where and When?
UFC 279 will take place in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card is set to get underway at around 3am GMT, so another late one for the Brits! However, the main card is stacked top to bottom, with the likes of Jonny Walker, Kevin Holland, and Tony Ferguson.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
