Khamzat Chimaev says Gilbert Burns isn’t a “real challenge,” wants Covington-Masvidal winner

Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t think Gilbert Burns is a real challenge.

Chimaev is coming off a dominant first-round submission over Li Jingliang and has been rumored to face Burns. However, the fight has not been booked but if it does, Chimaev doesn’t think it would last very long as he says the Brazilian isn’t a challenge.

“All those numbers mean nothing. To be honest, I don’t see a real challenge in him. We’ll see. Everything may happen in a fight, but I am confident as usual,” Chimaev said to RT Sport. “I think I will just smash him with my skills and power. I feel that way. He might feel different, but I will go there and do what I did the last time.”

With Khamzat Chimaev still working on obtaining his visa, he says he doesn’t care if Gilbert Burns is his next fight. He plans on smashing whoever he faces next.

Should he win his next fight, Khamzat Chimaev says the plan is to face the winner of Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal next. He isn’t sure who wins that fight but he knows if he can get that fight, it will secure him facing Kamaru Usman for the belt his next time out.

“I think it’s 50/50. I don’t care which of them wins. I am fighting Burns now, then after beating Burns, hopefully, I will fight the winner of Masvidal-Covington, because it seems like Usman has a hand injury and needs time to recover. I hope he will recover soon. I am waiting for this guy, too. Looking forward to fighting him. But for now I think the winner of our fight with Gilbert will fight the winner of Masvidal-Covington for the interim title or just the No. 1 contender spot. Then Usman should come back and we will fight him. This looks like a good plan to me.”

Do you think Khamzat Chimaev would finish Gilbert Burns?