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The Badass Career of Gilbert Burns
Gilbert Burns has consistently been a staple of the welterweight division and currently has accepted each and every single opponent the organization has offered him. These include Khamzat Chimaev, JDM, Sean Brady and now Michael Morales. The combined losses of those prospects inside the UFC is of ONE.
You may be asking yourself if that’s where it ends for Gilbert being the badass that we know him for. The answer would be NO. When he fought Kamaru Usman in 2021, it wasn’t in the most ideal of situations either. Fast forward to 2023, Gilbert has fought twice in the first 3 months of the year, yet accepts a short-notice title eliminator against future champion, Belal Muhammad.
Concept and circumstances matter in this sport. At the same time, the sport is unforgiving and rarely do we see happy endings.
Burns came into this past fight week in the best shape we’ve seen in a while, however Morales had an athleticism and youth edge over Durinho. If this fight were 3-4 years ago, it could’ve been completely different, or are we confident that Morales is a better fighter than Khamzat Chimaev?
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What’s Next For Burns?
Colby Covington
For me, Colby Covington is the next obvious opponent for Burns. At once point, both names shared the Top 3 Ranks of the welterweight division, yet never fought each other. Both have lost a few times and have had their fair share of shots at glory and are more in the latter parts of their careers.
At the same time, I believe it is fair to both for them to fight each other, seen both are from the same era of welterweights, have a grappling style with the striking to back it, and the name value that could put buts in seats, not to mention an added element of rivalry between these two.
Colby isn’t the most active fighter as of lately, and I’d imagine Gilbert wants some time off following his bout with Morales. Running this in the middle of fall, somewhere between September and October could be perfect.
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Leon Edwards
While ranking wise this may raise some question marks, I think the UFC OWE this to Gilbert Burns. Leon Edwards has repeatedly struggled with pressure grapplers, which is exactly what Gilbert carries, not to mention, some underrated KO power.
In addition, Gilbert had much more valiant performances against Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady, the last two fighters Leon had lost too. Leon Edwards, a former champion, needs a win if he wants his morale back, and he may see Gilbert, a name he has mentioned in the past, as a good opportunity to get back on track.
I do see it hard getting this fight done, but if it somehow does come across the war-room on a Tuesday afternoon, it wouldn’t be the worst strategy, particularly if we do see division-wide bookings.
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Michael Chiesa
Micheal Chiesa could be an amazing fight for Gilbert Burns. Chiesa, while outside the rankings, has similar threats to Gilbert on the ground. With 21 combined submissions, this could offer some fun scrambles on the mat, not to mention that if it stays standing, we know Gilbert has some KO power.
Chiesa has gathered two wins in a row, and is now scheduled to fight Court McGee, a bout he is favored to win. If he does get his hand raised, he could call his shots for another entry into the rankings. Both are around the same age, with Chiesa being 37 and Gilbert 38.
These are of course just a few options, though I do believe the UFC should give Gilbert fighters that are from the same era as him. There truly is no need to consistently give Gilbert Burns the hardest and toughest names in a division that is always evolving.
Regardless of what happens next, Gilbert Burns has been the best company man for the UFC and has never denied the opportunity to get into that octagon and face the toughest prospects and contenders the welterweight division has to offer.
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