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Robert Whittaker doesn't think Khamzat Chimaev would have beaten Gilbert Burns if they'd fought each other in five years' time. The former middleweight champion pointed out that before fighting Burns at UFC 273, Chimaev had gone relatively unscathed throughout his career.
According to 'The Reaper', the Russian-born Swede sustaining little head damage before fighting Burns is what allowed him to emerge victorious. Whittaker feels that had Chimaev faced Burns a few years later, having fought other ranked contenders in the division, he may not have survived the three scheduled rounds.
He claimed that Burns hit Chimaev with some of his best shots but failed to finish him because the latter had a fresh chin that could withstand the damage. During a recent interaction with Submission Radio, the Australian stated:
"I think what played into Khamzat's biggest favor was the fact that throughout his career he's taken little to no head damage. I think if Khamzat fought that fight in five years' time after he fought killers like Burns at the top of the food chain for a while, he doesn't make it through that fight because he took some massive shots and Burns switches dudes off."
Watch Robert Whittaker's interview below:
What's next for Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns?
Khamzat Chimaev is still undefeated despite being pushed to the limit at UFC 273 earlier this month. He is currently on a five-fight winning streak inside the octagon. UFC president Dana White previously said that 'Borz' was likely to fight Colby Covington if he managed to beat 'Durinho'.
Covington, however, hasn't made a public appearance since his alleged street brawl with Jorge Masvidal in Miami. It is unclear whether he is willing to fight Chimaev next.
In a recent tweet, Gilbert Burns seemingly called out Nate Diaz. He shared a photoshopped poster for UFC 281 which is set to take place in October. Diaz has just one fight remaining on his current contract with the promotion and is unwilling to extend it.
