Gilbert is the single most dangerous WW for Khamzat

[po_thead]

Gilbert is too small for him, he gets smurfed

 

[ryun253]

Will Gilbert rock Khamzat & catch him in a guillotine?

 

[xn7]

are you a paid shill. no one that small physically is khamzat's most dangerous matchup.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

Burns will not win this fight off his back, so no it’s not really a good match up if your thinking his Bjj skills will save him, burns is no Maia off his back.

 

[Bouboumaster]

In any case, I'm happy with the fact that now, Khamzat we'll truly be tested.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

not exactly.
Leon & Colby would be good test since they have great wrestling.
Luque is as dangerous as Burns IMO and you still have Belal.

Khamzat is ranked 11. He shouldn't expect a title shot with one fight within the top 5.
If anything, this is a no-win fight for Burns, since he would be beating a guy outside the top 10, which is supposed to be expected that he wins and also supposed to award him less points than beating someone within the top 10..

Normally you might not expect to go from 11 to title shot with one win. But Usman beat Covington twice, Masvidal twice and finished Burns. It’s basically Leon, Luque, and then IMO a big drop to Belal.

Khamzat might already be the best welterweight on the planet. If he looks like it against a top five guy, who he finishes, I have zero problem with him going next.

 

[Jarilo]

Burns BJJ is definitely dangerous, however I can see it going like Khamzat vs GM3

I wonder just how much the size diffrence will be.

 

[pankrat]

There are guys fighting at 135lbs who are 6'3"

Cormier was world champion at heavyweight around 5'10"

Height is largely irrelevant.

Khamzat is an enormous welterweight.

Khamzat is big but there are others who step into the cage heavier than him at WW.

 

[MCS]

Burns is a dangerous fighter for sure, and despite his size, being a former LW. He can put anyone in the division away. But Khamzat is so massive for the weight class and brings the top game and KO power. You'd have to exhaust him, get past the early rush. If Burns can survive it he has the tools to turn the tables. Elite submission ability and KO power with fast hands.

But the guy who can tire Khamzat out maybe the most is Usman. He can slow the pace down with his own wrestling and has great cardio, can take over past the early goings. Not be on the bottom.

 

[jeff7b9]

that's an asinine comment by someone who is obviously a Khamzat fanboy.
You are forgiven (since I know where you are coming from), but it does not mean it is beyond hypocrite to make such claim.

Regardless of your thoughts of how good he is, he is ranked #11. That is a fact.
If you trust your hero, then you should trust he can climb through the rankings properly.

Claiming "it is the biggest fight" is a retarded argument, since this is not a popularity contest, but a proper sport, with proper rankings (or supposed to be, if fans like you were not such hypocrites).

1- given how one sidedly he demolished Li do you really feel like a top 5 fight isn't reasonable at this point?

I get the "work you way up" idea, but also want to see him challenged. If #11 couldn't land a single strike on him why not expedite the process. If he is unworthy then surely he will be exposed, right?

Also factor in the current dominant champ who has cleaned out the division. Wouldn't you rather see him face the potentially major test in Khamzat (should he pass his top 5 test) rather than retire without facing the next generation, leaving.us to forever say "what if?"

2- I like your prior "I quite disagree" comment. Nice to see civil debate.

 

[JustBleed69]

I think this match could solely come down to who the better striker is.

Can't imagine Khamzat wants anything to do with Burns on the ground, so we will learn a lot about the potential of Khamzat from this fight.

 

[Canarinha]

I reckon Khamzat is stronger in the clinch and will wear Burns down and will gnp Burns.

 

[Shaddows]

1- given how one sidedly he demolished Li do you really feel like a top 5 fight isn't reasonable at this point?

I get the "work you way up" idea, but also want to see him challenged. If #11 couldn't land a single strike on him why not expedite the process. If he is unworthy then surely he will be exposed, right?

Also factor in the current dominant champ who has cleaned out the division. Wouldn't you rather see him face the potentially major test in Khamzat (should he pass his top 5 test) rather than retire without facing the next generation, leaving.us to forever say "what if?"

2- I like your prior "I quite disagree" comment. Nice to see civil debate.

Look, Li was a good test. but let us not forget he was also climbing up, and not someone who was ever within the top 10.
I do think two things:
1) sometimes the UFC hold fighters inside the top 10 just because of their name value.
That has to change (so more fighters can climb up).

but it also comes with a
2) - Fighters should need to climb through the rankings period!
He demolished Li, great! Let him do this with someone within the top 10 then within the top 5.
Leon, Luque and even Belal fought their way up into the top 5.
Isn't it unfair to have someone just leapfrog them?
IMO if Leon is next, if the champ is not ready, then have Luque fight Leon for the next in line.
Meanwhile, Have Khamzat/Burns winner fight Belal for the shot after that.
This way you are being fair to everyone and no one jumps the line.

I am not against someone jumping the line if they proved themselves. But you know a fight does not always shows everything. And Khamzat has only 10 fights in his resume.
I feel he is unproven, despite his record or how he won... and I do think we have time to see him prove his worth, so why rush?

 

[Yari]

Gilbert Melendez is almost 40 years old, washed up, and a cheater. What the hell are you talking about.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Burns will not win this fight off his back, so no it’s not really a good match up if your thinking his Bjj skills will save him, burns is no Maia off his back.

That’s the way I am leaning too. When people talk about this matchup or Khabib/Islam-Oliveira, I think they way over-estimate how much the BJJ player’s bottom-game is going to affect the outcome. This isn’t 2004 with strikers getting triangled and armbarred from the bottom and American wrestlers shooting into guillotines every card. We still see submissions but they happen much more often from the guy who is already in control

 

[rjmbrd]

Khamzat is big but there are others who step into the cage heavier than him at WW.

source: trust me bro

Unless you fight in California and we have an officially recorded weight on fight night, the rest is just made up.

6 of his 10 career fights are at middleweight. At 6'2 his frame is solid, lean and muscled. He's the size of a proper middleweight. If you know what you're looking at, its obvious he's a huge welterweight.

 

[frontkick1]

as someone said in another thread, burns could not submit WB so i don't see what is he gonna do against chimaev

 

[jeff7b9]

Look, Li was a good test. but let us not forget he was also climbing up, and not someone who was ever within the top 10.
I do think two things:
1) sometimes the UFC hold fighters inside the top 10 just because of their name value.
That has to change (so more fighters can climb up).

but it also comes with a
2) - Fighters should need to climb through the rankings period!
He demolished Li, great! Let him do this with someone within the top 10 then within the top 5.
Leon, Luque and even Belal fought their way up into the top 5.
Isn't it unfair to have someone just leapfrog them?
IMO if Leon is next, if the champ is not ready, then have Luque fight Leon for the next in line.
Meanwhile, Have Khamzat/Burns winner fight Belal for the shot after that.
This way you are being fair to everyone and no one jumps the line.

I am not against someone jumping the line if they proved themselves. But you know a fight does not always shows everything. And Khamzat has only 10 fights in his resume.
I feel he is unproven, despite his record or how he won... and I do think we have time to see him prove his worth, so why rush?

"So why rush?"

So we can see Khamzat vs Usman before Usman retires.

Other than that I don't necessarily have a problem with anything you said.

All fair points, though maybe a smidge more held in strict accordance with values I would perhaps flex on in certain circumstances due to short shelf life of fighters, only 1-3 fights per year and desire to see certain matchups that I consider more exciting for personal reasons/preferences.

 

[Shaddows]

"So why rush?"

So we can see Khamzat vs Usman before Usman retires.

Other than that I don't necessarily have a problem with anything you said.

All fair points, though maybe a smidge more held in strict accordance with values I would perhaps flex on in certain circumstances due to short shelf life of fighters, only 1-3 fights per year and desire to see certain matchups that I consider more exciting for personal reasons/preferences.

Look, I hear you.
But at the end of the day, who said Usman is retiring that soon?
So I take it that you are assuming, and rushing things.

I don't know iof you have to. Look at Khabib's retirement.
Charles is here, replacing him.
Same as Usman is at the realm of a WC where GSP left...
Same as how Whittaker replaced GSP and Israel now sits at the throne...

There will always be replacement fighters who are worthy of the throne.
Rushing it has less value than allowing fighters to climb properly through the rankings.
That (deserving) fight against Usman will be far more anticipated if he beats 2 top 5 ranked opponents to get his belt. And his victory more deserving.

I mean, you talk about fighters not fighting so often... but Usman is actually a champ that defended his belt 3 times last year...

 

[DatSamboKid]

He’s a tough matchup that’s for sure. I hope they get this fight signed.