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Sonnen: Aljamain Sterling’s Detractors Only Remember Final 2 Rounds

Former UFC fighter turned commentator Chael Sonnen doesn’t understand why some people think Petr Yan defeated Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273. Sterling earned a split-decision win over Yan in the UFC 273 co-headliner. He used his grappling and opportunistic striking to get the better of Yan on the judges’ scorecards. While Sterling won the fight…

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Former UFC fighter turned commentator Chael Sonnen doesn’t understand why some people think Petr Yan defeated Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273.

Sterling earned a split-decision win over Yan in the UFC 273 co-headliner. He used his grappling and opportunistic striking to get the better of Yan on the judges’ scorecards.

While Sterling won the fight according to the judges, some believe that Yan deserved to win the bout by winning Rounds 1, 4, and 5.

During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen revealed how he scored Sterling vs. Yan 2 at UFC 273.

“That fight was very clear 3-2. The two rounds that Yan won, regardless of what your lying eyes tell you, Sterling let him win. I don’t mean that from an anti-sportsmanship standpoint. I am not looking to take away from Yan. I thought Yan looked great. It was a matchup problem. It was a blueprint problem. It was a ‘getting taken down and Aljo on top’ problem. It was a round problem.”

Sonnen went on to recap Sterling’s win and point out why he believes Sterling won the fight on the scorecards.

“I’ve been stunned that people are pushing back and don’t think he won the fight. That’s not what I saw. I saw it exactly the way Aljo did. I didn’t see the 10-8 business. The control was there for a 10-8, but not the damage. So I’m out on lunch on that one. But the first three versus the last two (I agree with)…

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – APRIL 09: (R-L) Aljamain Sterling elbows Petr Yan of Russia in their UFC bantamweight championship fight during the UFC 273 event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 09, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

“I thought Aljo was very dominant. I thought it was a glorious victory…I just think that some of you that are pushing back on Aljo are only remembering the last two rounds, which is very common. There was an organization called PRIDE where if you won the last parts of the fight, you could win the entire fight. It was just looked at very differently. In a 10-9 must system, you got 3-2, it’s basic math, as I see it. And I have been surprised at some of the pushback.”

While Sonnen scored the fight in favor of Sterling, some other MMA personalities such as Big John McCarthy and Josh Thomson scored the fight the other way. This has prompted Sterling to ask for apologies from his detractors, including his posting of an apology form on social media.

Sterling will more than likely face former champion TJ Dillashaw next, but a third fight down the line with Yan is certainly on the table. For now, Sterling is continuing to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

How did you score Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2?

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Burns: I Was More Nervous For Chimaev Than Any Other Fight Ever

UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns says he’s never been more nervous for a fight than he was prior to his clash with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273. While two champions defended their titles at last weekend’s Jacksonville-held pay-per-view, a blockbuster clash in the 170-pound division made good on its threats to steal the spotlight Having…

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UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns says he’s never been more nervous for a fight than he was prior to his clash with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273.

While two champions defended their titles at last weekend’s Jacksonville-held pay-per-view, a blockbuster clash in the 170-pound division made good on its threats to steal the spotlight

Having steamrolled his four prior opponents, rising star Chimaev was given a true litmus test on April 9 when he shared the Octagon with Burns. Across three rounds, “Borz” proved he can hang with the elite of the weight class, even in a back-and-forth war.

Following 15 minutes of memorable, Fight of the Year-worthy action, Chimaev was awarded the victory via unanimous decisions. Giving credence to his own gutsy performance, “Durinho” left the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena with his win money, a bonus, and certainly no damage to his stock.

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A post shared by GILBERT BURNS "DURINHO" (@gilbert_burns)

Prior to their contest, Burns was ranked #2 on the welterweight ladder. In agreeing to face the surging Chimaev, the Brazilian was certainly taking a risk. That’s because the Chechen-born Swede was sat one spot outside the top 10 ahead of UFC 273.

While he certainly didn’t show it in fight week, Burns has now described just how nervous he was ahead of such a high-stakes battle.

Burns Compares Pre-Chimaev Nerves To Usman, Maia & Thompson Fights

During an interview with MMA Underground’s John Morgan days after his 18th walk to the Octagon, Burns compared how the nerves of his latest outing compared with his pre-fight feeling ahead of bouts against Demian Maia, Kamaru Usman, and Stephen Thompson.

While he admitted being “freakin’ nervous” ahead of his 2020 fight with Maia and UFC 264 collision with “Wonderboy,” Burns suggested that nothing matched the nerves he felt ahead of his date with “Borz,” not even his title shot last February.

“It was a great week, I had fun at the weigh-ins, at the face-off. I kinda anticipated all the little things that he was doing, I was ready for it. But it was another fight that I was freakin’ nervous before the fight,” admitted Burns. “The level is just going up, you know.

“Demian Maia, it was too much, it was number three. Kamaru, I was a little bit overconfident, so I wasn’t that nervous; I was overconfident. Stephen Thompson, I was freakin’ nervous. That passed Demian Maia. But the last one, I was more nervous than ever,” concluded Burns.

A nervous build-up and a disappointing loss certainly hasn’t stalled Burns’ motivation, nor has it dissuaded him from calling for a rematch. Soon after his memorable war with Chimaev, the Brazilian stated that he’s not finished with the Chechen-born Swede yet, a callout that was met with a positive response from the now-#3 contender.

But before contemplating his next step, Burns will turn his attention to family and recovery time. Meanwhile, Chimaev may be headed towards a meeting with two-time title challenger Colby Covington.

How do you think Gilbert Burns performed against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273?

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Khamzat Chimaev’s coach Andreas Michael Breaks Down UFC 273 fight, Rates “Embarrassing” Performance a 4

Rising UFC prospect Khamzat Chimaev‘s coach Andreas Michael gave his analysis of the UFC 273 fight against Gilbert Burns. Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns put on a thrilling show in their narrowly-contested bout at UFC 273. In a fight of the night performance, both men went to war that ultimately saw Chimaev come out on […]

Rising UFC prospect Khamzat Chimaev‘s coach Andreas Michael gave his analysis of the UFC 273 fight against Gilbert Burns.

Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns put on a thrilling show in their narrowly-contested bout at UFC 273. In a fight of the night performance, both men went to war that ultimately saw Chimaev come out on top. ‘Borz’ faced his toughest test going the distance for the first time in his mixed martial arts career.

While the fight was close throughout, Chimaev’s coach Andreas Michael understood he was in for a long night as soon as he saw his fighter go for the takedown in the first round

In an interview with ESPN, coach Michael gives his take on the fight and how Khamzat Chimaev deviated from the game plan.

“His mindset was not what we trained. His mindset was, he’s going to go in there and he’s going to destroy the guy,” said Michael. “Telegraph your punches, you’re swinging, you’re wide, you’re putting everything in every shot. You’re running like a 100-meter tempo but it’s a 3k run.”

Michael believed Khamzat Chimaev would’ve done the job in two rounds if he had stuck to the original game plan of using the jab with a few right hands here and there. “All he needed to do was just use his jab. And sometimes throw the right hand. And I think it would’ve been done in two rounds. Just keep your distance, don’t fall into the shots, don’t get caught with the hooks.”

Khamzat Chimaev calls his performance “embarrassing”

Coach Michael revealed Khamzat Chimaev’s reaction backstage after the fight. He shared how disappointed Chimaev was with his performance and praised Burns for his toughness.

“He threw the game plan out because he promised everyone he was going to knock him out. Backstage, he told me ‘Oh my god, it’s embarrassing. I promised that I was going to knock him out.’ That was the only concern,” said Michael as he continued, “He could’ve done a clinic, I’m being honest. This is not disrespect to Gilbert (Burns).

“The shots that he took, both guys, the shots that they took, my god!”

Going against the instructions of his coach, Chimaev could not manage to look his coach in the eyes, as someone who is a father figure for him. Michael shares the advice he gave after the first round was over.

“When he came back after the first round, I said ‘you’re not going to finish him. Do not go out and look for the finish,’ I said to him but I was calm,” said Michael. “Focus on a stable jab. Stabilize your jab and you’re going to see you don’t need that much power to drop somebody. From going a 100 percent hitting Gilbert (Burns), he just jabbed him and dropped him in the third.

“If he had the patience, he would’ve done the job in an easier manner because no way he lost the fight.”

On being asked about how he would rate the Chechen’s performance on a scale of ten, coach Michael gave him a four in light of everything that he has seen his fighter do in training.

Do you agree with coach Michael’s analysis of Khamzat Chimaev’s fight at UFC 273?

Shavkat Rakhmonov Fires Back at Khamzat Chimaev:’We Can Fight in the Cage or in the Streets’

Shavkat Rakhmonov has fired back at Khamzat Chimaev after the Chechen born labeled Rakhmonov a ‘chump’. Chimaev continues to be the hot topic of discussion within the world of MMA. The 27-year-old is fresh off a significant victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, which saw both men battle it out in a fight of […]

Shavkat Rakhmonov has fired back at Khamzat Chimaev after the Chechen born labeled Rakhmonov a ‘chump’.

Chimaev continues to be the hot topic of discussion within the world of MMA. The 27-year-old is fresh off a significant victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, which saw both men battle it out in a fight of the year contender. Chimaev moved to #3 in the welterweight rankings and now targets a super fight with titleholder Kamaru Usman.

Since joining the UFC in 2020, Rakhmonov has also made waves in the welterweight division, accumulating three stoppage victories, taking his undefeated record to an imposing (15-0).

Preceding UFC 273, Rakhmonov was questioned about the proposition of meeting Chimaev in the Octagon. He said the following:

Shavkat Rakhmonov Responds to Khamzat Chimaev’s Comments

“I don’t know! It doesn’t really matter. Whoever they tell me to fight. If the rankings match right and the UFC makes that fight, I’m gonna do it without hesitation. But it’s not the right time to call him out, cuz he’s got an upcoming fight and might fight for a title potentially. The callouts are unnecessary now. Once I’ll get to him (in the rankings) we’ll fight!”

Many were impressed by the showing of heart, determination, grit, and overcoming adversity that Chimaev displayed on the night. However, Rakhmonov felt the performance was underwhelming:

“Shavkat Rakhmonov not impressed with Khamzat Chimaev’s skills”

Chimaev was quick to bite back in response, which was later deleted:

Khamzat Chimaev Throws Jab at Shavkat Rakhmonov

“Who’s that chump?!”

In a Q&A session, Rakhmonov was asked about his overall thoughts on Chimaev as a fellow competitor, responding (h/t MMANews):

“Let him say it to my face, not in comments. We’ll talk when we see each other. I’ve nothing against him. We’re just opponents and I’m not gonna insult him. I’m not gonna insult his family or nation. We’ll fight one day and then see who’s better.”

Rakhmonov was unfazed by Chimaev’s ‘Chump’ comment, stating he doesn’t take much from insults and believes it’s an indication that he’s in Chimaev’s head.

Later, a fan asked if he thought Chimaev was even aware that he existed. Rakhmonov responded, adamant that the Swede knows precisely who the Kazakh is, claiming he would be the biggest fight for Chimaev.

“Surely, he does! How can he not know?! I’m the biggest fight for him! It’s not Burns or a title. We can fight in the cage or in the streets. If someone has something to tell, we can do it. If someone has ‘questions’ to me, we can do it anywhere.”

With two undefeated welterweights throwing jabs at each other, a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov is a fight we could very well see in the future. How would you expect this matchup to unfold?

Video | Khamzat Chimaev Already Returns To Training Following UFC 273 Battle

Streaking UFC welterweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev has stunningly returned to training less than a week removed from his back-and-forth battle with one-time title challenger, Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 last weekend. Chimaev, who featured in a three round main card clash with Niteroi contender, Burns, managed to remain undefeated, landing a close, unanimous decision (29-28, […]

Chimaev, who featured in a three round main card clash with Niteroi contender, Burns, managed to remain undefeated, landing a close, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) victory over the Brazilian – improving to 11-0 as a result.

The Chechen-born contender managed to lodge his fifth consecutive UFC victory with his judging success, however, faced severe adversity over the course of the 15-minute war – absorbing a total of 119 significant strikes, after receiving just one significant land in four prior Octagon appearances.

Winning the opening and third round against Sanford MMA staple, Burns, Chimaev – a mainstay at AllStars MMA in Sweden, was dropped in the closing stages of the second round, courtesy of a massive counter right hand from Burns.

Remaining unbeaten, nonetheless, Chimaev has quite stunningly – already returned to training, just days removed from his blood and guts display against Burns.

“The date is 12. of April,” A narrator says as Khamzat Chimaev slings kettlebells, ”9. of April, we went to war (against Gilbert Burns). This is why this guy is gonna become a champion. This is why, you understand? After a war like that… back in the gym training, after a f*cking war like that.”

“We’ve been here since 8:30 and now it’s 9:30. We have another half hour of training. So, f*ck you if you don’t believe in us.” (Transcribed by BloodyElbow)

Khamzat Chimaev has been tipped to draw the #1 ranked, Colby Covington next

Yet to book his next outing off the back of his win over Burns, Chimaev has been linked to a potential title-eliminator against former interim champion, Colby Covington – possibly on an upcoming ABC broadcasted card, however, Chimaev has also received a callout from Burns – who has welcomed a five round rematch in the future.

“The way I see it too, is that we’re (me and Khamzat Chimaev) not done,” Gilbert Burns said. “I do believe we’re not done. For sure, he moves forward in the rankings and they (the UFC) want to make that Colby (Covington) fight. But the way I see it, I’m not afraid to fight anyone in this division. Time and time again I’ve proved it. … I just want one thing back from Khamzat (Chimaev). I want the courtesy (of a rematch).”

Brendan Schaub Slams Dana White For Denying Sterling Win

Former UFC veteran turned comedian Brendan Schaub did not hold back in a response to Dana White saying the judges “blew” the scoring in Yan vs Sterling fight. UFC 273 saw Aljamain Sterling crowned as the victor in his rematch against Petr Yan. After five intense rounds and a split decision, Dana White placed the…

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Former UFC veteran turned comedian Brendan Schaub did not hold back in a response to Dana White saying the judges “blew” the scoring in Yan vs Sterling fight.

UFC 273 saw Aljamain Sterling crowned as the victor in his rematch against Petr Yan. After five intense rounds and a split decision, Dana White placed the bantamweight belt around Sterling’s waste.

But after the battle was done, White made it clear he thought Yan won the fight.

On Schaub’s own podcast, The Schaub Show, he condemned White for his comments (h/t BJPenn.com)

“When you’re the president of the UFC, you have a responsibility. So when you say that the judges got that one wrong, now, you’ve f*cked Aljamain Sterling over. Now you’ve f*cked him. He beat the naysayers, the haters, he shut everyone up. Now it resurfaces because the most powerful man in the UFC says ‘He didn’t win that fight’. Which, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re wrong, dude.”

The controversial first match between Sterling and Yan brought an immense amount of hate from social media. Trolls attacked Sterling online, claiming he was an actor for his reaction to the illegal knee given by Yan.

Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan at UFC 259, via Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Retaining the belt was supposed to put an end to the criticism and ridicule, but Schaub believes White’s comments have compromised Sterling over in that sense.

“You f*cked your fighter over. Now, he has to go back to the drawing board and deal with this stupid f*cking hate. Why? Because he only won three out of five rounds? You watch it from cageside on your little monitor, and you rush to judgment before watching for a second or third time. It’s your f*cking responsibility, your duty, should be when you say that stuff, you’re going based of the criteria that the fighters have to when it comes to judging. But you don’t. You came to a quick judgment, and it f*cked your fighter.”

Do you agree with Brendan Schaub’s opinion about Dana White?

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