The rattling sound you heard late Saturday night time for those who had been anyplace close to Jacksonville, Florida, was the Khamzat Chimaev practice’s noise that slowed it down. Gilbert Burns was the one to make use of the brakes. Burns bloodied and overwhelmed in a brutal opening spherical, however survived. And as his UFC 273 battle in opposition to rising star Shemayev carried over into the second spherical, Burns started to dominate.
This was in contrast to something we would seen within the first 4 UFC rounds for Kemayev. This time it was in a aggressive battle. Shemayev confirmed that he was as much as the problem. After three rounds backwards and forwards, throughout which each man punched massive and made massive moments, Chemayev bought a nod from all three judges (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) to show one thing important and sustainable.
Chimaev has proven that he belongs to the Octagon with the elite welterweight division of the UFC. The noise practice retains screaming.
This victory was a lot completely different from the nights of Chemayev’s full domination that had come earlier than. In every of his earlier appearances, Shemayev has been a superhero at stacking video game-type numbers. He edged 124-2 on mixture in his UFC debut. 68-0 closing in on his return after 10 days. 17 seconds of a knockout punch in his third look. Then one other wonderful kick (58-0) Whereas speaking to UFC President Dana White in a cage throughout a battle! Actually superhuman.
However these presents got here in opposition to John Phillips, Reese Mackie, Gerald Merchart, and Li Jingliang. Every of them was a well-suited foe for a brand new fighter within the UFC, however the one one you will discover within the rankings is Li, who’s falling again within the double digits.
Standing throughout the cage from Chimayev on Saturday was a fighter on a very completely different degree. Burns is a multi-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion barely one yr after difficult for the UFC title. Among the many middleweights, Burns sits behind solely champion Kamaru Usman and two-time contender Colby Covington within the UFC and ESPN classifications.
For Chimayev, this was not a small step within the competitors. This was an enormous leap. He handed it with confidence and suppleness.
Early on, Chemayev appeared to be heading for one more gorgeous defeat. Burns fell with a shaky blow, and from the highest place on the canvas threw punches and elbows, one in every of which opened a wound within the Brazilian’s head. However Burns hit the horn, and within the second spherical he seemed refreshed, and his inspiration flowed. Throughout an change close to the cage, Shemayev dropped his proper hand. At this level, each males had been bleeding and respiratory exhausting. However each males one way or the other had sufficient to supply a brutal third spherical to finish a basic battle that had followers roaring.
If Chimaev’s efficiency was astonishing, his prediction was surreal. All through the weeks main as much as UFC 273, followers and fighters on social media had been expressing extra enthusiasm for watching Chimaev than any of the champs on the prime of the invoice. And regardless of Burns’ lofty {qualifications} and Chimayev’s relative inexperience at a excessive degree, many didn’t hesitate to anticipate Chimayev’s victory. Some anticipated him to make it look straightforward.
When UFC President Dana White went on SiriusXM Radio to advertise pay-per-view, he talked a little bit about Alexander Volkanovsky’s essential featherweight protection in opposition to Chan Sung Jung. He did not say a phrase concerning the joint essential bantamweight title bout between champion Jamin Sterling and former champion Peter Yan. As a substitute, White spent a lot of his time speaking about Shemayev, “somebody I am very enthusiastic about.” White’s pleasure did not cease when he amplified this weekend’s battle, both. He even appears ahead to Chimaev subsequent one One, says that if the Chechen-born Swede defeats Burns, the UFC will attempt to guide him in opposition to Covington on a uncommon community TV present.
Hype has a method of going ahead on these uncommon events when athletes reveal themselves pushed by the “it” issue. Conor McGregor was touted as a celebrity lengthy earlier than he beat featherweight champion Jose Aldo at 13 seconds in 2015 – in his seventh battle within the Final Preventing Championship – to dwell as much as his full billing. Nobody in MMA has been near something since, till Chimayev got here alongside.
Nevertheless it wasn’t simply the joy of the followers and the bustle of the promoters that precipitated Chimayev. Regardless of being solely No. 11 within the UFC welterweight rankings, he entered the cage on Saturday as a favourite wager at -550 on the No. 2 Burns. To place that in perspective, because the UFC rankings started in 2013, not one of the prime 5 fighters have confronted The percentages are sharper in opposition to an opponent outdoors the highest ten than Burns (+400), in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data.
Las Vegas bookmakers do not get caught up within the hype or the chances. Shemayev clearly proved to them that he belonged to the higher class.
Saturday was a giant night time for the fighters who’ve confirmed their value within the status they already occupy within the sport. Proper after Chimaev validated his personal whirlwind of hype, Sterling discovered himself in a checking place as nicely, which is one surreal factor for the champion: He was defending a giant weight belt that many who comply with MMA felt didn’t signify his superiority. 13 months in the past, Sterling grew to become the primary fighter in UFC historical past to win a title by means of disqualification, after Jan hit him with an unlawful knee that left Sterling unable to proceed.
Between then and this weekend, there was a whole lot of negativity thrown at Sterling, partly as a result of he was shedding the title battle till he received it, and partly due to a photograph posted on social media exhibiting him celebrating his belt hours. After he threw it within the octagon. Why would MMA followers criticize Sterling as a result of that is anybody’s guess. However the loudest followers could be probably the most damned fan.
Sterling rose to the extent of probably the most demanding observer in Saturday’s co-main occasion, cementing his place on the prime of the division with a win within the rematch with Jan. It was a break up choice, implying an in depth battle, however Sterling dominated two rounds and bought the approval of two judges in one of many different rounds, which was shut. It will need to have felt like probably the most particular of the title defenses. All champions in all divisions are invited to show themselves each time – however for Sterling the demand is greater than that.
Chemayev and Sterling’s victories had been adopted by featherweight champion Volkanovsky within the absolute demolition of Younger in the primary occasion. The champ was adept at choosing and hitting Jung, who continued to rumble ahead till referee Herb Dean mercifully intervened to finish the brutality in Spherical 4. Volkanovsky, in his third title protection, had by no means seemed sharper and extra in management.
However nobody was heading to Chemayev that night time – though Burns bought very shut. Would anybody steal the present from the 27-year-old Swede in Chechnya? If he leads to the cage with Covington, because the UFC would really like, Chimaev (11-0) will definitely be a crowd favourite, however what is going to the chances makers say? And if Chimayev managed to get previous that formidable hurdle, there could be nothing between him and Usman, assuming the champion succeeded in defending in opposition to Leon Edwards.
Osman is aware of what he’ll face. He helped Burns, who was a coaching associate earlier than they had been opponents, prepare for Saturday’s showdown. Osman was positively watching. He is aware of that Shemayev can be a handful. As unimaginable as it might appear for a fighter who has solely 5 bouts of the UFC below his belt, Chimaev appears prepared for no matter’s to return.
