'It changes everything': Gilbert Burns uncovers surprising attribute that makes Kamaru Usman greater test for Khamzat Chimaev than Paulo Costa

Kamaru Usman will make his middleweight debut this weekend when he faces Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. Gilbert Burns, who has shared the octagon with both fighters, believes 'The Nigerian Nightmare' presents a tougher challenge for 'Borz' than Paulo Costa, his previous opponent, despite taking the bout on 10 days' notice.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, 'Durinho' said:

"Khamzat had a bigger reach than Paulo Costa... Now, Kamaru has the bigger reach on this fight, plus the experience and everything... It's going to be very important to Kamaru to get there as early as possible to acclimate. I mean, he fought there with Jorge Masvidal on short notice, but now he's in a different division so it kind of tricks me a little bit because for sure you need to get there early, but the weight cut is not an issue."

He added:

"For Khamzat, he's there already. I'm sure he's got a couple big guys getting him ready for Paulo Costa. Boxers with the good takedown defense. Now, it changes everything. Now, the guy has a bigger reach. Now, the guy has more experience. Now, we got to figure out a wrestler. Such a small amount of time to adapt your game. Oh, it changed so much. You guys have no idea. On a short notice fight, a lot of things change super quick."

Check out Gilbert Burns' full comments on Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev below (starting at the 2:59 mark):

While Chimaev has never been defeated in his mixed martial arts career, he will face his toughest challenge to date. Both fighters have not had much time to strategize or game plan for the matchup, which Burns believes could play into Usman's favor.

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Khamzat Chimaev shows Kamaru Usman respect for taking short notice fight

Khamzat Chimaev is known for trash-talking his opponents leading up to fights. Despite this tendency, 'Borz' had nothing but respect for 'The Nigerian Nightmare' during a recent sit-down interview with Kamaru Usman and Chael Sonnen, stating:

"Respect for the guy taking the fight on short notice. Everything. They already have excuses. Not Usman. Usman takes the fight like warrior, man, but people already says, he didn't have a camp, this, that, man."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments on Kamaru Usman below (starting at the 4:52 mark):

Chimaev fell short of giving a prediction for the bout, citing that things always wind up differently in the cage. The winner appears to be next in line for a middleweight title opportunity following Israel Adesanya's planned hiatus from the sport.