Gilbert Burns: “The fight with Chimaev is in doubt. We both want him, but the UFC has other plans.”

UFC welterweight fighter Gilbert Burns is still not sure that his fight with Khamzat Chimaev will take place.

“So far, nothing is clear, the fight has not been approved. Like everyone else, I’m waiting for news. Maybe they want to change the date, maybe put the fight in April, maybe in May. I think that it will still take place, but so far nothing is clear for sure. Which is very strange, because we both want to fight each other.

It seems to me that the UFC has other plans, a different strategy. They have their own way of looking at how to use fighters, how to match them … They asked me: “Are you ready to take this fight?”. I replied: “Of course.” And that’s where it all ended. Therefore, everything is still in question. And so – we talked a lot with Khamzat, he began to write to me from the beginning of all this hype around him. Either he wishes you good morning, or something else. I always answered him»…

Burns defeated Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision on July 10 last year at UFC 264 in Las Vegas. Chimaev strangled Li Zhinliang at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi in October.