Khamzat Chimaev has been warned he will not remain undefeated in the UFC if he produces the same "dangerous" performance he did against Gilbert Burns.
Chimaev outpointed Burns in a thrilling contest at UFC 273 where he was forced to recover from being knocked down twice to rally to victory. The Chechen star preserved his undefeated record but criticised his own performance after going toe-to-toe with the powerful Brazilian.
UFC legend Chael Sonnen believes that Chimaev will be caught out if he continues to trade in shootouts with opponents if his long-term plan is to remain undefeated. “At some point, you (Chimaev) have to learn – He’s ready for this technique," Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. 'Oh, by the way, I’ve had four fights.
"I hit the same technique on absolutely everybody', so he had a good idea that it was coming. Turns out he’s prepared for it. I’ve gotta mix it up. And that’s what I saw Chimaev do. And yes, that’s a dangerous way to fight, for sure.
"'If that is the final analysis on this, I’ll stand down, and I’ll completely agree with the coach, with [Georges] St-Pierre, with all the assessments that are coming in. I’ll fully agree'. Anybody that goes into a shootout that is a long-term plan does not generally equal an undefeated MMA record. It’s just who can get to the target first."
Chimaev managed to get across the line despite feeling the power of Burns by commanding the final round with a dominant display. Sterner tests of Chimaev's credentials are likely to lie ahead including a potential bout w ith the division's leading contender Colby Covington next.
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The 27-year-old is also likely to try and put himself in pole position for a shot at Kamaru Usman who currently holds the 170lb title. Chimaev was critical of his own display after the fight but believes he entertained fans with his display. However Chimaev's coach Andreas Michael revealed he was "upset" with his charge during the fight.
“The plan was to just box him,” Michael said on The MMA Hour . “Keep the jab going because that’s the way to handle that situation. He did absolutely everything we didn’t work on and he just wanted to show the people, ‘Listen, I’m here, I’m gonna walk through this guy.’ But there’s a reason these guys are there.
"The No. 2, No. 1, champions, they’re there because they’re f****** tough. They’re some tough dudes, respect to them. So if you understand that and that comes with experience, if you understand that then you have the patience to handle that situation and that will make you maybe finish him in one or two rounds.
"Remember, Khamzat has nearly never gone past the first round. I got very upset and I just told him, ‘Listen. We’ve been working for this for, like, 10 weeks. Stop jeopardising this because you want to show everyone you’re the man."
