Gilbert Burns says ‘yes-men’ could stand between Khamzat Chimaev & UFC gold

Gilbert Burns believes Khamzat Chimaev's frequent changes in coaching and training camps could be undermining his path to UFC greatness. Burns and Chimaev previously collided in a welterweight bout in 2022, and they are set to meet again in a freestyle wrestling match at RAF 13 on September 18 in Miami. Burns has watched from the sidelines as Chimaev suffered his first professional loss, dropping his middleweight title to Sean Strickland in a disappointing performance.

While Burns is confident that Chimaev will bounce back hungry from the defeat, he identified a pattern he believes is holding the Chechen back. "The only thing that I can watch from the outside and say is I don't like when he's changing camps, changing coaches too much," Burns told Red Corner MMA. Burns noted that Chimaev appeared sharper during their 2022 fight, when the fighter had stability under head coach Andreas Michael at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm. Burns believes Chimaev could become a multi-division champion if he commits to a solid, stable coaching team that will give him honest feedback rather than simply agreeing with his decisions.

Chimaev has since relocated to the United Arab Emirates and frequently shifts his training environment, though he retains longtime jiu-jitsu coach Alan "Finfou" Nascimento. Burns is optimistic the young fighter can recover and eventually claim titles across multiple weight classes—if he finds the right permanent team.