Khamzat Chimaev Dominates Gilbert Burns in RAF 13

Khamzat Chimaev had to work longer than usual, but the ending felt familiar.

Pushed into a second period for the first time in his RAF career, the former UFC star still bulldozed his way past Gilbert Burns, piling up a 15-4 score in the RAF 13 co-main event to move to 3-0 in the promotion and keep his aura of inevitability intact.

Chimaev tested, then takes over

From the opening whistle, Chimaev went straight to his wheelhouse. A sharp double-leg sent Burns skidding out of bounds for the first point, a warning shot that set the tone. Seconds later, Chimaev powered through a clean four-point takedown to surge ahead 5-0, driving through Burns with the kind of physical authority that has become his trademark.

Burns refused to fold.

The Brazilian snapped forward with a well-timed entry of his own, securing a two-point takedown that cut into the lead and briefly shifted the energy in the arena. It didn’t rattle Chimaev. It woke him up.

He answered with another dominant attack, blasting through to extend the margin to 11-2 as the first period closed. For the first time in RAF, though, an opponent had dragged Chimaev into deeper waters. Burns had earned a second period, a small victory in a fight that was rapidly slipping away on the scorecards.

Burns bites down, Chimaev shuts the door

The restart brought more resistance from Burns. He latched on and drove through for another two-point takedown, refusing to concede even as the numbers stacked against him. It was brave, it was ambitious, and it came against a man who does not like being scored on.

The response was ruthless.

Chimaev locked onto a double-leg again, lifted, and drove Burns hard to the canvas for a four-point sequence that slammed the door on the contest at 15-4. Match over. Statement made.

Burns walked away with credit for his effort and should have done enough to earn another shot in RAF. He pushed Chimaev further than anyone has managed so far in this rule set, forcing the Chechen powerhouse to show gears beyond his usual first-period blitz.

Chimaev, though, leaves with exactly what he came for: another dominant win, a spotless 3-0 RAF record, and a clear target in mind.

“Of course, why not? He has the belt,” Chimaev said when asked about a showdown with RAF crossover champion Colby Covington.

He has run through everyone in front of him. Covington would be the stiffest test yet. The question now is simple: who blinks first when those two relentless wrestlers finally collide?