Gilbert Burns has called for a fight with a 'no takedown clause' against UFC fan favourite Nate Diaz.
Former welterweight title challenger Burns went three hard rounds with rising star Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 earlier this month but was on the wrong end of a unanimous decision. It marked Burns' second loss in his past three fights having been stopped by Kamaru Usman last February.
Burns recognises that he will have to put together a string of wins before challenging for the welterweight title again. That's why the Brazilian has called for a fight with Diaz, who has just one bout left on his current UFC contract.
"I know I am going to have a long way up to the title, maybe two or three impressive wins. I'm ok with that, but now I need a big fight. I know Nate Diaz needs an opponent and I think that would be a crazy fight," Burns told TMZ Sports.
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"I can put in the contract no takedown attempts, just stand up. I love that fight. Nate, maybe Nick [Diaz] or Jorge Masvidal, but for now there's a lot of recovery and spending time with my family to get better."
Unfortunately for Burns, it would be unlawful for the UFC to put implement such a clause for a sanctioned fight. Diaz is known for being an excellent stand-up fighter who prefers to strike despite being a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Diaz demanded to be released from the UFC last month after claiming the promotion have failed to find him an opponent. He was linked to a fight with Dustin Poirier for months, but UFC president Dana White said they have moved on from the booking.
"I would like to request to be released from the UFC," he wrote. "I apologise for asking online but you don’t give me a fight ASAP I got s*** to do. Motherf****** be crying cause they get dropped from the UFC [and] I can’t pay out this b****".
Diaz hasn't competed in the UFC since losing a decision to Leon Edwards last June. After losing every round of the fight, Diaz hurt Edwards in the fifth round but was unable to finish the Brit before the final bell sounded.
Burns dropped to No.4 in the welterweight rankings after his recent loss. Unlikely to take a fight with his teammate Vicente Luque, another potential opponent for 'Durinho' is Belal Muhammad, who is ranked at No.5 after beating Luque this past weekend.
