Khamzat Chimaev Passes First Tough Test at UFC 273, but He's Not Invincible

Khamzat Chimaev is still undefeated, but he is clearly not invincible.  

The Chechen-born Swede returned to the UFC's Octagon in the middle bout of the UFC 273 main card, taking on No. 2-ranked welterweight contender Gilbert Burns, who challenged Kamaru Usman last year for the division's championship. 

Entering the fight, the widespread belief was that Chimaev would slice through his more experienced foe, whether he got the job done by way of knockout or submission. The odds reflected this perception, as he was among the biggest betting favorites on the card. 

But that's not how it happened. Far from it.

Burns asserted himself as a far more serious challenge than he was getting credit for early in the first round, denying Chimaev's first takedown attempt of the fight and landing some pretty significant shots as the round progressed. Chimaev fired plenty of heavy artillery in return, but unlike his previous opponents, Burns didn't go away.

That trend continued into Round Two, as the pair turned the tables on each other over and over again, blasting one another with punches and kicks on the feet, shooting for takedowns, and searching for submissions whenever the fight hit the mat.

By the time the third round began, both welterweights were visibly fatigued, and Burns was leaking blood from a cut along his hairline—the product of a Chimaev elbow late in the second frame. Despite their dwindling energy reserves, the pair continued to fight with extreme intensity for the entirety of that final round, pelting each other with punches that most likely would have stopped lesser fighters in their tracks.

Given the way both men were fighting, it was frankly shocking that the judges were required, but that's the way it happened. And while all three scored the fight in Chimaev's favor, it was clear as the decision was being read that something had changed. The fans seemed to sense this. Some even booed as he began his post-fight interview—a radical departure from the raucous applause that served as the soundtrack for his walk to the cage.

"I didn't know he was so tough," a bruised and bloodied Chimaev said in his post-fight interview with UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. "The guy came out with Brazilian heart. I know Brazilians. … They’re f--cking tough."

It's no surprise that there was some disappointment in the air inside the host VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

Chimaev had won his first four fights in the Octagon, all by stoppage, all in less than 15 minutes combined. On the heels of those victories, he looked downright unbeatable. Many fans and pundits were already hailing him as a future champion at both welterweight and middleweight, so seeing him pushed to the brink of defeat by a man he was supposed to beat was jarring. It was like catching Batman without his mask on and realizing, "Hey, that's just Bruce Wayne."

But should we have been so surprised?

For all his previous dominance in the Octagon, Chimaev was a total mystery heading into his UFC 273 with Burns. We knew he was a venomous finisher with a wolf-like killer instinct. But we didn't know how he'd respond when the early finish failed to materialize. We didn't know how durable his chin was. We didn't know what kind of gas tank he was driving with. 

When you consider all of that, his hype seems a little overblown in hindsight. Maybe he will be a champion, but he can clearly be beaten by the top dogs of the welterweight division, which happens to be ruled by the sport's top pound-for-pound fighter in Usman.

Then again, there is a silver lining to Chimaev's less-than-perfect performance at UFC 273: It answered most of the questions his doubters had about him. Now we know he can adjust his game plan when he can't score an early finish. Now we know he can take a hard shot. Now we know he has a solid gas tank—solid enough to fight for three hard rounds, at least. We'll see how he holds up over five if he ever has the opportunity. 

Time will tell what the future holds for the fighter widely hailed as MMA's brightest young talent.

One way or the other, however, his UFC 273 fight with Burns was proof that he can be beaten and a reminder that every fighter, no matter how good they look in victory, can be.