Gilbert Burns says he has brought in two secret weapons into his training camp to prepare him for Khamzat Chimaev.
Burns is set to face Chimaev in a very intriguing main card scrap at UFC 273 on April 9 in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s a massive step-up in competition for Chimaev but he has earned it as he has run through his first four opponents but for Burns, he says he brought in two people who want their name a secret that are helping him prepare for the fight.
“He brought a lot of good stuff, a lot of details in wrestling,” Burns said on this week’s episode of MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca. “I had to hire two wrestlers, two very tough Russians who are helping me daily. They asked to keep their names a secret, and I had to [agree], because they are showing me a lot of stuff, changing a lot of stuff in my game.
“I always liked single-leg [takedowns], double-leg, body lock, but the Russians have different details, unique grips. You’d think they are super strong, but they aren’t,” Burns continued. “They are strong, but their technique is great. There’s a lot of technique with the hip, waist, control. They are ahead of the United States [in that aspect]. I’ve learned a lot in this camp. And you can’t just learn the defense, you have to attack as well so you feel it and develop your defensive skills.”
Entering the fight, Gilbert Burns knows all the hype is on Khamzat Chimaev and he’s eager to find out if the hype is real. He knows the Swede is a very good fighter but he really wants to bring him into deep waters to see how he will fare.
“Dana White and the UFC are promoting this kid a lot,” Burns said. “The things they say, ‘This kid is a killer and no one wants to fight him,’ that helps a lot. But [I’m] not taking anything away from the kid, I think he’s good as hell and very promising. I think he’s tough.”
