DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – Gilbert Burns is split down the middle when it comes to the Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman trilogy bout.
After he dethroned Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) with a stunning last-minute head kick at UFC 278 in August, welterweight champion Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) is expected to face “The Nigerian Nightmare” again next.
It was a back-and-forth fight that saw a great start for Edwards in Round 1 before Usman took over with his wrestling. But Edwards pulled off a come-from-behind victory when he blasted Usman with a kick late in Round 5. Although Usman was en route to winning that fight, Burns thinks the Salt Lake City altitude wore on Edwards, which played a factor.
“It’s going to be a hard fight,” Burns told MMA Junkie at Kill Cliff Fight Club. “Right now, we’ve got to see how Kamaru comes back. He seems pretty OK with the situation, a little bit released, that pressure, carrying the belt, but I see a lot of factors a lot of people didn’t see. The way I see it, Leon had a very good first round – took him down, mount, got his back. I think he kind of gassed out a little bit because of the altitude in Salt Lake.
“I think that was a big factor in that fight. That’s why Kamaru was able to dig deep, got back, dominated a couple of rounds. But Leon had the technique. You saw all the studies. He was drilling that a lot. I just think it’s going to be another close one, especially if they go to London. Yeah, it’s going to be a tough one. I still think it’s a 50-50 fight – both guys (have) got a chance. But in London, with that preparation, with the mindset now, I think Leon might get the best. It’s going to be a close one.”
Burns had his shot at gold when Usman was champion, but fell short. Edwards remaining champion would likely give Burns a better chance for a second crack at the title, but “Durinho” doesn’t necessarily view it that way.
“When those guys fight, I want the best guy to win, even though I know Kamaru for a long time,” Burns said. “But a fight is a fight. I wish the best man to win. I don’t want (Usman) to lose, especially the way he lost (the first fight). I was there. I saw his daughter crying a lot. It was very rough for me to see that. But he (will) bounce back. The guy’s a warrior. He’s here training. He’s coming back. I think his mindset is OK. But I don’t wish nothing bad for any of these guys.”
