UFC Welterweight Gilbert Burns Hints Khamzat Chimaev’s Next Move: “Chimaev Planned to Move Up to Middleweight”

Recently, Gilbert Burns made a not-so-surprising revelation about Khamzat Chimaev. The possibility of a rematch between him and Khamzat Chimaev has piqued the interest of the media. When the MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter asked him about the likelihood of such a rematch, Burns gave a negative response. Burns said that he heard of Chimaev‘s intentions to switch to middleweight for his next bouts. Later, Bronsteter took to his Twitter handle to announce the potential weight category switch away from Chimaev.

The weight shift of Khamzat Chimaev

In his tweet, Bronsteter mentioned, “I spoke with Gilbert Burns today and when I asked him about a potential rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, he said that he had heard that Chimaev planned to move up to middleweight going forward.” 

At UFC 273, ‘Borz’ and ‘Durinho’ engaged in a vicious fight. The match was named the best fight of the year by the fans. One of the interesting parts of the fight was Chimaev winning by a unanimous decision. The very first decision win of his entire fighting career.

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For their fierce battle, both competitors received a barrage of compliments. Burns, though, was angry with Chimaev after his defeat. Burns pushed for a rematch in an effort to pay back for the defeat. But as of right now, the Brazilian UFC fighter said there was no chance of a rematch.

The rise of ‘Borz’

In the welterweight division of the UFC, Chimaev was ranked #15 in 2020. By 2022, the Swedish Star had risen to the position of #3. However, Chimaev is not switching to middleweight for the first time. For his promotional middleweight debut, he previously squared off against John Phillips. ‘Borz’ has stated his desire to compete against middleweights Alex Periera and Colby Covington.

However, there has been no official statement regarding Chimaev‘s move to middleweight. Prior fights of Chimaev didn’t go as anticipated because of an unforeseen weight shift. He was prepared to face Nate Diaz at UFC 279. ‘Borz’ came in at 178.5 pounds during the weigh-ins, therefore the fight was called off. He weighed seven and a half pounds over the welterweight non-title fight’s weight limit. Due to the weight difference, the UFC was forced to take him out of the title fight. Nonetheless, later it was determined that Kevin Holland would face the Swedish fighter. The contest was slated to take place as the co-main event with a catchweight of 180 pounds. Chimaev triumphed over the other using a D’Arce choke in the first round of their fight.

The audience will have to wait and watch to see whether the Swedish fighter will make a move to the middleweight division. Although, it will cancel the chance of a rematch between ‘Borz’ and ‘Durinho’ as fans expected.

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