UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns still has frustrations over one particular losing performance on his record.
Burns is set to headline UFC Vegas 106 on Saturday at the Apex. The veteran contender is returning to action having struggled to string together wins in recent years.
Since threatening a memorable title upset when he dropped Kamaru Usman early in their 2021 pay-per-view main event, Burns has amassed a negative 3-4 run inside the Octagon.
And after losing his last three fights, the Brazilian finds himself in the worst period results-wise of his professional MMA career.
While every defeat no doubt brings with it difficult feelings, Burns recently admitted that one stung more than the rest.
Gilbert Burns gets honest on how he performed against Sean Brady
Burns previewed his next bout and assessed his current position in the welterweight division while appearing at UFC Vegas 106 media day on Wednesday.
He reflected on the results that have pushed him outside of title contention. Burns’ most recent loss came against Sean Brady, and the setback brought with it the most frustration.
“I look at these fights…the Belal [Muhammad] fight I got hurt first two minutes of the fight. It happened, it’s not his fault. The guy went there, beat me,” Burns said.
“The Jack [Della Maddalena] fight, I was doing a lot of things right until I don’t. It’s no excuse. ‘Oh, I was winning,’ yeah, but I didn’t win.
“But the last one was the one that was like, ‘Man, I didn’t show up.’ That one bothered me the most. It still bothered me, the three losses, but I just gotta change little things.”
Gilbert Burns must defeat undefeated prospect Michael Morales if he’s to snap his three-fight losing skid
Saturday’s event in Las Vegas provides the next opportunity for Burns to bounce back to the win column, but achieving victory will certainly be easier said than done.
Standing in the Brazilian’s way to a 16th UFC victory will be Michael Morales, an Ecuadorian prospect who has won all five of his fights in the promotion to push his perfect record to 17-0.
The 25-year-old is coming off an emphatic first-round knockout of welterweight mainstay Neil Magny, who marks a shared opponent between Morales and Burns.
Burns will enter UFC Vegas 106 as a sizable underdog. After performing valiantly under similar circumstances versus both Usman and Khamzat Chimaev, the Brazilian will look to go a step further and have his hand raised over Morales.