The battle between rising welterweight sensation Chimaev and former world title challenger Gilbert Burns lived up to the war Chimaev had hoped for. So much so that it was named 2022 Fight of the Year. Yet Chimaev still managed to preserve his unblemished record with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory.
Scores were 29-28 across the board for Chimaev, now 11-0. Burns fell to 20-5.
Order UFC 294: Makhachev vs Oliveira 2
It only took three strikes for Chimaev to get close enough for a takedown, and only a minute in, Burns had already been dragged to the mat. Luckily for Burns, the Brazilian took about 90 seconds to get free, and then the two were back on their feet again. The welterweights exchanged several shots, and with a minute left in the round, a right hand dropped Burns, and while “Durinho” recovered quickly, it was a big moment for Chimaev.
