"I tasted blood and wanted to finish him" - Khamzat Chimaev details what went wrong in Gilbert Burns fight

Khamzat Chimaev recently reflected upon his performance against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.

'Borz' edged out a decision in his favor in a back-and-forth contest. However, for the first time in his UFC career, the 27-year-old faced adversity in a fight. He absorbed a total of 119 significant strikes in the contest. He had taken only one significant strike in his first four UFC fights.

The Chechen-born Swede assessed his performance against the Brazilian on the Smesh Bros YouTube channel:

"Yeah, that was it. I told you last time we had a call. When I knocked him down, I tasted blood and wanted to finish him and I forgot about rounds and time. I couldn't think of denfense and control my emotions. So, I was all over the place." [Translated by the Smesh Bros YouTube channel]

Watch Khamzat Chimaev on Smesh Bros:

Chimaev was ranked No.11 in the welterweight division heading into his contest against Burns. 'Durinho', on the other hand, was ranked No.2. The Brazilian has fought for the title before in his career, against Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. However, the rising star proved his grit and heart as a fighter and grinded out a win.

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What's next for Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC?

Chimaev is tipped to face Colby Covington in his next fight by Dana White. Covington is currently the No.1-ranked fighter in the division and Chimaev sits at the No.3 spot. With No.2-ranked Leon Edwards set to take on champion Kamaru Usman, the UFC president believes Chimaev-Covington is the fight to make.

'Chaos' is coming off a lopsided decision win against Jorge Masvidal in his last fight at UFC 272. He has established himself as one of the top welterweights in the world over the course of his career. Apart from being a multi-time title challenger, Covington is also a former interim champion of the division.

However, Chimaev is unlike any prospect that fans have seen in the history of the UFC. His meteoric rise to the top has been phenomenal. It will be exciting to find out whether or not the 27-year-old can keep his undefeated professional record against the top contenders in the division.