Dana White has confirmed he will pay Gilbert Burns a win bonus despite losing to Khamzat Chimaev in a classic encounter at UFC 273.
The Brazilian played a huge part in an incredible showdown earlier on UFC's bill in Florida and the pair were awarded the bonus for Fight Of The Night. Burns ultimately left empty-handed despite putting his opponent down twice, with the judges scorecard unanimous in favour of the Chechen star.
White was left impressed with the display from both contenders and claimed it was one of the best fights he had seen in the promotion's history. “It’s one of the best fights I’ve ever seen,” White said at the UFC 273 post-fight press conference. "You know what else too, I think I am going to give Gilbert Burns his win money too. He is going to get a show and win, that fight was ridiculous. It’s one of the coolest fights I’ve ever been to.”
The UFC kingpin also had huge praise for the eventual winner, adding: “Think about this: When was the last time you saw a guy come out of nowhere – nobody knows who he is, comes out of nowhere – then fights the No 2-ranked guy in the world and wins.
"When you get into the top-5 in the UFC, it’s no joke man, and especially in that [welterweight] division. That division is straight killers. Tonight was a big test for him and he passed. You can’t train in the gym for what happened tonight, I’m sure this week he had a lot of pressure on him, a lot of anxiety. Who knows how well he slept last night?
"He’s human, any a****** [that doubted him] doesn’t think the kid’s human. He’s a human being, and he just beat the No 2 welterweight in the world in the UFC, with a couple of fights in the UFC. If you don’t think he’s the real deal, you’re out of your mind.”
What did you make of Gilbert Burns' performance against Khamzat Chimaev? Let us know in the comments section below
Chimaev and Burns both earned around $50,000 each for their role in the Fight Of The Night. Chimaev earned a six-figure pay out with his bonuses added, with Burns also handed a six-figure sum after bonuses were added to his initial $100,000 guaranteed purse. The fight started at a frantic pace with Chimaev landing good early shots, before dropping his opponent with a well-timed jab.
Burns responded well in the second after starting the period on the back-foot, sending his opponent shocked to the canvas after a neat left hand. Chimaev was dropped again as the pair continued to trade heavy artillery with the fight neck and neck in the final round.
'Borz' continued to push the pace in the final round despite being dropped, walking down his opponent through heavy counter shots from Burns and set the tempo until the last bell. All three judges scored the clash 29-28 in favour of Chimaev who is now set to face Colby Covington in his next fight.
