The UFC has announced a welterweight matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns for UFC 273.
The 170-pound contest had been in the works for some time but was finalized only recently. The UFC announced Saturday the bout is now official for its next pay-per-view event on April 9 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Chimaev (10-0) is one of the most intriguing prospects in UFC history. Originally born in Chechnya, now fighting out of Sweden, the 27-year-old is 4-0 in the UFC, with four first-round finishes.
A former amateur wrestler, Chimaev has dominated his UFC competition thus far but has yet to face a top-10 opponent. He made a splash in his UFC debut in July 2020, when he won two fights in two different weight classes in a 10-day span.
Burns (20-4) is a former welterweight title challenger fighting out of Sanford MMA in Boca Raton, Florida. He came up short in a title bid against Kamaru Usman in February 2021 but has since rebounded with a decision win over Stephen Thompson.
A featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Chan Sung Jung, aka Korean Zombie, is scheduled to headline UFC 273 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.