Dana White has revealed who could be next for Khamzat Chimaev if he wins at UFC 273 this weekend. If ‘Borz’ is able to defeat Gilbert Burns, he’ll face Colby Covington next.
Khamzat Chimaev is set for the biggest test of his career on Saturday at UFC 273. Back for the first time since his destructive win over Li Jingliang at UFC 267, the welterweight is facing Gilbert Burns. The former UFC welterweight title challenger, Burns (20-4 MMA), is coming off a win over Stephen Thompson last July.
Ahead of the contest, the assumption has been that it’s a title eliminator bout. If Chimaev or Burns wins, they will receive a title shot for their victory. However, Dana White has seemingly squashed that idea.
The UFC president discussed the welterweight title situation on the Pat McAfee show earlier today. While he didn’t note what would happen if Burns wins, he did reveal that Chimaev likely wouldn’t receive a title shot.
Instead, the UFC would like him to face fellow welterweight contender Colby Covington. The reason is that the promotion has a rare ABC card coming up, and they want a big fight for it. A top-tier welterweight bout would seem to fit the bill for that event.
“I think if Khamzat Chimev wins this weekend, we see him and Colby Covington next. So, I have a fight card coming up on ABC. In a perfect world, I’d like to do Khamzat vs. Colby, if Khamzat wins on Saturday night.”
While a surprising fight, it would be a huge main event for the UFC. With a UFC welterweight title shot on the line, that fight checks all the boxes for a huge ABC card for the promotion.
What do you think about Dana White’s comments? Do you want to see Khamzat Chimaev fight, Colby Covington, next?