Khamzat Chimaev passed his biggest test yet when he won a hard-fought decision against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 in Jacksonville. Now, the undefeated “Borz” has taken a huge leap forward into top-three-status in the welterweight division.
That’s according to the new UFC rankings.
While Khamzat Chimaev has jumped up eight steps to claim the No. 3 spots, Gilbert Burns has dropped two and is now sitting at No. 4 in the UFC’s welterweight rankings.
Many assumed that Khamzat Chimaev would claim the No. 2 spot after his win, since that was Gilbert Burns ranking at the time of their fight. However, that spot now belongs to Leon Edwards who is expected to challenge Kamaru Usman for the title next.
Colby Covington is still ranked as the division’s No. 1 contender, right below the champ.
Here’s the updated UFC rankings for welterweight, with Khamzat Chimaev among the top three:
Champion: Kamaru Usman
1. Colby Covington
2. Leon Edwards +1
3. Khamzat Chimaev +8
4. Gilbert Burns -2
5. Vicente Luque -1
6. Belal Muhammad -1
7. Stephen Thompson -1
8. Jorge Masvidal -1
9. Sean Brady -1
10. Neil Magny -1
11. Michael Chiesa -1
12. Geoff Neal
13. Jingliang Li
14. Santiago Ponzinibbio
15. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Visit UFC.com to check out further updates in the UFC rankings across the different divisions!
Who’s next for Borz?
Even tough Khamzat Chimaev wasn’t as dominant as he’s been previously, it’s important to remember how tough Gilbert Burns is. He’s a former title contender and one of the absolute best welterweights in the world. To beat him shouldn’t be an easy task for anyone.
Khamzat Chimaev managed to pass the test in just his fifth UFC outing and also proved to himself that he’s got a really solid chin as well as cardio to carry him through a war – even when he was tired, rocked and covered in blood.
Now, Colby Covington seems like the next logical step for “Borz” although nothing have been confirmed as of yet.
If the Colby Covington fight doesn’t materialize for whatever reason, there are some other possible matchups out there for Khamzat Chimaev as well – check out Frontkick’s top choices right here.
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