Rising welterweight star Khamzat Chimaev is still unbeaten in MMA, but he may have lost some of his lustre. The Chechen-born Swede returned to the Octagon in the middle bout of the UFC 273 main card on Saturday night in Jacksonville, Florida, taking on former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns. It was his fifth fight in the organisation, after winning his first four in less than 15 minutes combined, and far and away the starkest test of his career. Chimaev ultimately passed that test, but it was not easy. CHIMAEV SURVIVES TO STAY UNDEFEATED 😤 #UFC273 pic.twitter.com/CyLFRAq8b0 — ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 10, 2022 Burns proved himself a worthy adversary from the early going, denying his celebrated foe’s first takedown of the fight, and gradually pulling the Chechen into a bloody war of attrition. Both men had their moments over the course of the fight’s three rounds – and both seemed to be on the verge of being finished at multiple points – but in the end, it was Chimaev who got his hand raised by unanimous decision. UFC 273: Volkanovski stops ‘Korean Zombie’ with standing TKO “I didn’t know he was so tough,” a bloodied Chimaev said in his post-fight interview with commentator Joe Rogan. “The guy come out with Brazilian heart. I know Brazilians … They’re [expletive] tough. “Gilbert, I love you brother,” he added. “Always respect. I just do my work to make money.” In defeat, Burns is back in the loss column after a decision win over two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Despite the setback, he says he will continue fighting, and having pushed the UFC’s most-hyped prospect to the brink of defeat, he will most likely do so with renewed respect from the fans. “I come here to fight,” Burns told Rogan post-fight. “I go against the odds. I don’t care. “My goal here is to become a champion,” he added. “I’m gonna keep fighting. Every time I step in here gonna give it everything I have. They gotta [expletive] kill me but I’m not gonna stop.”