UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns claims he would "beat the s***" out of Conor McGregor if the pair were to clash in the octagon.
The Notorious hasn't fought since suffering a broken leg in his loss to Dustin Poirier last summer, and has just one win to his name in his last four UFC outings. He has since shown off an impressive physique as he continues his recovery, and has bulked up to around 190lb, reports The Mirror.
McGregor has talked up a switch from 155lb to 170lb where his last victory came against Donald Cerrone in 2020. And contender Burns believes he would be able to defeat the UFC superstar if the fight stays on the ground or turns into a wrestling match. “He’s not a welterweight but if he wants to fight at welterweight, I’d love to beat the s*** out of Conor," Burns told MMA Fighting. "I think he’s not going to take that punch.
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"I’m not even talking about grappling cause that’s not fair. [I’d] just take him down and maul him but a fight with Conor, it’s a win-win for me. I’m going to beat him up and I’m going to get a ton of crazy money, I’m not even calling for that fight cause it’s not fair. I think he’s a 155-pounder, [if] he’s at 170lb, he can’t take those punches.
"He cannot handle that wrestling. You can’t handle the top five guys in that division. You can fight a couple of guys at 170lb but he’s not a welterweight. If he really thinks [he is], try some top five [fighters] in that division. I think it’s not fair. We’d just destroy Conor.”
McGregor, 34, has received a multitude of fight call-outs at 170lb including Jorge Masvidal, and 155lb stars Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira who would both be willing to make the weight leap. However McGregor has not yet made any formal plans for his return, with his comeback now expected to be delayed until early next year.
When discussing a return, McGregor initially admitted his plan was to secure an immediate title shot at 170lb against current champion Kamaru Usman. The Nigerian will first defend his title this month before addressing any potential challenge from McGregor which could come next year.
McGregor has also instead been linked with a return to the boxing ring in a rematch with legend Floyd Mayweather. Former UFC champion Michael Bisping believes McGregor would be better suited taking that fight first before any return to the octagon. He said on his YouTube channel : "For Conor McGregor, it's probably not a bad idea, because coming back and getting ready for a boxing fight is a lot less strenuous than getting ready for a mixed martial arts contest.
"Of course, I'm talking about the man's leg. He would be the only man to defeat Floyd Mayweather so of course, if you're going to step in there you want that."
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