Khamzat Chimaev has explained why he doesn’t believe Gilbert Burns will ever become a champion in the UFC.

Back at UFC 273 in April, Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns went to war in what could easily be described as a Fight of the Year contender. Both men threw everything they had at one another in an attempt to get one step closer to a welterweight title shot, and in the end, it was Chimaev who had his hand raised in victory after three gruelling rounds.

Despite the loss, though, Burns was notably pleased with his performance, and the same can be said for fans and pundits alike who praised his ability to storm forward and really put ‘Borz’ under pressure.

However, during a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Chimaev questioned whether or not Burns’ reaction to the result indicates that he lacks the mentality required to be a champion.

“The guy [Burns], I make him famous. The guy was a nobody, you know, before me,” Chimaev said. “I make him famous. And he lost the fight, [but] he was more happy. I was angry for that fight. I win that fight, [but] I was angry because I didn’t finish that guy. I don’t understand [why] some guys like Gilbert become happy when they lost the fight.

“Going everywhere, doing interviews, and [saying], ‘I’m gonna fight with him again.’ Yeah, we’re gonna fight, whatever, I’ll fight with him whenever he wants, but I don’t see he will be champ, because if you’re happy when you lost the fight, you will never be champ. I win my fight, I was like, one month angry at me in training and everything,” Chimaev added. “These things I don’t understand.”

Quotes via MMA News

Do you think Khamzat Chimaev is right about Gilbert Burns never becoming a champion in the UFC?