Khamzat Chimaev 's coach urged his fighter to stop brawling before the final round of his fight with Gilbert Burns.
Chimaev extended his unbeaten record to eleven fights last weekend by outpointing Burns in a thrilling fight at UFC 273. The fight was even after two rounds, but Chimaev did enough in the final round to win get the nod on all three judges' scorecards.
The Chechen's head coach Andreas Michael was furious with Chimaev after the second round, slamming down a packet of ice in frustration as he advised his fighter. Michael revealed he was pleading with Chimaev to stop brawling with Burns and be smarter in the last round.
“People ask me what I told Khamzat at the end of round two, Michael wrote. "This is what I told him: 'stop brawling stop having a street fight use your straight punches and keep it easy. This is an easy fight if you don't brawl, all you have to do is keep him on your jab and have patience. Don't make it harder than it has to be'".
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"Nothing else was needed, just a fast jab and sometimes a straight right keeping your distance to not get hit with the hooks. That's what I demanded from him. I told him to stop giving everyone a show and just keep it boring and simple.
"To not force anything just be fast and light on his feet. This was the game plan all along. Easier than wrestling and easier than grappling, in flashes we saw that. Gilbert with all respect is a tough, gritty, brave warrior.
"All the love and respect to him. These guys gave a show to the public, but as a coach I don't care about the public. I care about the easiest way to win with the minimum damage. That's my number one job, to protect the fighter."
Despite being outstruck by Burns in the final round, Michael's advice paid off for Chimaev as 'Borz' has jumped up to No.3 in the welterweight rankings after his win. The 27-year-old is just five fights into his UFC career, but is likely one win anyway from a welterweight title shot.
UFC boss Dana White is hoping to book Chimaev against No.1 ranked contender Colby Covington next. Former interim champion Covington has previously dismissed Chimaev due to his lack of experience in the promotion, but White is adamant the matchup will be a "big fight".
