UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns has his eyes set on a rematch with former teammate and champion Kamaru Usman after enduring back-to-back losses.
In a recent appearance on the Show Me The Money podcast, Burns openly expressed his desire for a second showdown with Usman. The two previously clashed at UFC 258 in February 2021, where Usman emerged victorious with a third-round TKO to retain his welterweight title. Burns stated:
“I don’t think [Kamaru] would do it, but I would love to do that fight. I think it’s a path back to the top 5 for me, a rematch. For sure I’ll fight him.”
Reflecting on his first title shot, Burns acknowledged the emotional intensity of the experience and emphasized his intention to learn from past mistakes should a rematch materialize:
“I was very emotional in that first fight, [my] first title fight… I made a couple of dumb mistakes, I don’t think I would do that again. But Kamaru, he’s a very intelligent fighter, back then he was THE guy. I think it would be an amazing fight, if I could pick that would be my pick for my next fight.”
In another development, Burns took to social media to address his recent loss to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299. Despite appearing in control for much of the bout, Burns made a critical error in the third round, leading to his defeat.
Expressing disappointment but also gratitude, Burns shared his thoughts on Instagram:
“Felt great in there! Put on a great training camp and a good strategy, unfortunately it’s the fight game made a bad decision and paid for it! And I was very happy to be in there! Shoutout to Jack Della on a great win! No excuses, just grateful to God, for my family, my team, my friends, my sponsors, supporters and to all the fans. Time to rest and spend quality time with my family. See you guys soon!”
