Former UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns wants smoke from one of the welterweight division’s rising stars.
After years of being a key presence in the UFC welterweight title picture, Gilbert Burns is in unfamiliar territory following four-straight defeats. Burns, who holds career wins over Jorge Masvidal, Stephen Thompson, and Tyron Woodley, hasn’t fought since a devastating KO loss to Michael Morales in May.
Despite his recent struggles, the 39-year-old Burns believes he has all the tools to make at least one more title push before hanging up the gloves. But a recent medical scare has indefinitely postponed his return to the Octagon.
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Gilbert Burns says he’s in ‘concussion protocol’ but calls out rising star anyway
Burns and many other MMA stars still spar at a high level in between fight bookings. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is notorious for having wild sparring sessions, including some with content creators and online trolls.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie‘s Farah Hannoun, Burns shared a concerning update while revealing his targeted return timeline.
“I’m looking toward December,” Burns said. “I had a little concussion, I’m still not able to come back, so I’ve still got to get a few more things in the protocol to get able to get back to training. I’ve still got to take it easy a bit. It was a hard one, but I’m looking toward December.
“I just saw Daniel Rodriguez just got a nice win against Kevin Holland. He’s ranked now. I think that should be a fun one. Me and Daniel Rodriguez in December, maybe January.
“Let’s see how the concussion protocol goes. That’s one I’m looking forward to. With the brain you can’t play at all. We’ve got to take it most serious.” (h/t MMA Mania)
As of this writing, the severity of Burns’s concussion is uncertain, although his targeted December return seems plausible if he gets cleared by the UFC. Burns is looking to earn his first victory since retiring Masvidal at UFC 287.
Burns’s recent struggles were kicked off by a lopsided defeat to Belal Muhammad at UFC 288. Afterwards, Burns suffered a brutal KO loss to Jack Della Maddalena before main event losses to Sean Brady and Morales.
Burns’s callout of Daniel Rodriguez sets up an intriguing fight in the welterweight Top 15. Rodriguez most recently defeated Kevin Holland in a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate at UFC 318, albeit with a hint of controversy in the hours after the bout.
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Daniel Rodriguez accused of ‘greasing’ in gritty win over Kevin Holland
After Rodriguez and Holland faced off in the Octagon, Holland took to social media to express his displeasure with how the fight went. Holland insinuated that Rodriguez used a gel-like substance to be harder to grapple with in the Octagon, which Rodriguez firmly denied.
‘Greasing’ allegations are nothing new in modern MMA. UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre was infamously accused of the malpractice when he faced BJ Penn at UFC 94, as cornermen rubbed Vaseline on his back and shoulders in between rounds.
Regardless, Rodriguez is one of the welterweight division’s hottest contenders with recent wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio, Alex Morono, and Holland. A matchup with Burns would make a lot of sense for both sides as the veterans look to get back into the title mix.
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