Khamzat Chimaev's ability to take a punch in his fight against Gilbert Burns left Kenny Florian impressed.
During the latest episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast, the 45-year-old said that he was surprised by Chimaev's ability to survive the devastating right hand landed by 'Durinho' in the closing seconds of round two.
"That right hand that he [Gilbert Burns] landed at the end of round two would have killed most men. If you go back and look at that punch, it was as perfect as you can throw. It was as hard as Gilbert Burns has ever thrown in his life and how that didn't knock out that man [Khamzat Chimaev], I have no idea. An absolute classic war of a fight and both men should be applauded."
You can watch the full episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast below:
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'Borz' and 'Durinho delivered a barnburner at UFC 273. In the main card scrap, the two elite welterweights gave it their all inside the octagon for the full 15-minute duration.
As the second round was about to end, the Brazilian landed a brutal punch on Chimaev that caused the 27-year-old to lose his balance. However, 'Borz' got his bearings back and scored a takedown to close the round.
The fight eventually ended with a unanimous decision victory for the Chechen-born Swede as all three judges scored it 29-28 in his favor.
Khamzat Chimaev lost his 100 percent finish rate at UFC 273
Prior to UFC 273, Gilbert Burns was being touted as the toughest test for Khamzat Chimaev and it certainly proved that way on fight night. To the surprise of many, the fight lasted three rounds, with 'Borz' being declared the winner via decision.
This was the first time that the Chechen-born Swede was unable to finish his opponent. Before April 9, Chimaev had finished all of his 10 MMA fights, six by knockout and four by submission.
'Durinho' showed why he was ranked No.2 in the welterweight rankings. Burns gave the 27-year-old the toughest fight of his life and also made him lose his 100 percent finishing rate.
With that in mind, it's safe to say that the Brazilian's stock didn't fall in defeat. On the flip side, Chimaev's victory has ascended him close to the top of the welterweight mountain.