Gilbert Burns doesn’t think Paulo Costa poses as much of a threat to Khamzat Chimaev as he did.
Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 294 co-main event on Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Burns gave undefeated Chimaev his toughest test to date when he pushed him to the brink in their barnburner at UFC 273 last year. Although Costa is a lot bigger than Burns, “Durinho” says he doesn’t possess some of the necessary attributes that he has.
“He’s a big guy, but I don’t think he has the heart that I have,” Burns told Middle Easy. “I don’t think he has the jiu-jitsu that I have. He doesn’t have the get-ups that I have. He doesn’t have the submission threat that I have that makes Khamzat not want to grapple.
“He’s a very strong and big guy, but if I had to guess – and I don’t like both of these guys, a double knockout would be the best result – but it’s a 50-50 fight. If Khamzat is able to take him down, it’ll be a hard night for Costa. If Costa is able to defend the takedown, it’ll be a hard night for Khamzat.”
According to BetMGM, Costa is a +260 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on “Borrachinha” would win $260 profit. Chimaev is a -350 favorite, meaning a $350 bet would be needed on the unbeaten fighter to return $100 profit.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
