Khamzat Chimaev Dominates Gilbert Burns in RAF 13
Khamzat Chimaev finally needed a second period in RAF. The result stayed brutally familiar.
The former UFC star bulldozed his way past Gilbert Burns in the RAF 13 co-main event, racking up a 15-4 technical stoppage and moving to 3-0 in the promotion, even while surrendering the first takedowns of his RAF career.
Fast start, brief scare
Chimaev came out exactly as advertised. From the opening exchange he drove hard on a double-leg, forcing Burns out of bounds and banking an early point. Seconds later he muscled through a slick four-point takedown to surge ahead 5-0, looking ready to steamroll again.
Burns refused to play the victim.
The Brazilian burst forward with a sharp two-point takedown of his own, snapping Chimaev’s spotless RAF defensive record and jolting the bout into life. Rather than rattling him, it only seemed to light a fuse in Chimaev.
He stormed back with another heavy takedown, stretching the margin to 11-2 as the first period closed. For the first time in RAF, an opponent had dragged Chimaev into a second frame. It was a small victory for Burns, and he’d earned it.
Burns pushes back, Chimaev closes the show
The second period opened with more defiance from Burns. He latched onto Chimaev and finished another two-point takedown, cutting into the lead and proving he wasn’t just there to survive a highlight reel.
The response was ruthless.
Chimaev reset, changed levels, and blasted through on a double-leg that sent Burns crashing to the canvas for a four-point score. That sequence pushed the tally to 15-4 and triggered the stoppage, sealing another dominant win for the Chechen powerhouse.
Burns walked away with credit and, on this showing, a strong case for another call from RAF. Chimaev walked away with something else: the sense that he’s ready for a belt.
“Of course, why not? He has the belt,” Chimaev said when asked about facing RAF crossover champion Colby Covington next.
He has torn through RAF so far, but Covington would be a different kind of assignment entirely. If that matchup lands, Chimaev’s perfect start will finally collide with the hardest question RAF can ask.
