Former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns is game to fight Joaquin Buckley next.
Buckley (19-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) is 4-0 since dropping back down to welterweight, most recently defeating highly touted Nursulton Ruziboev (34-9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event in St. Louis.
Buckley’s callout of Conor McGregor received heavy criticism, but he quickly pivoted to Burns (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC) after realizing his initial name was unrealistic.
“Gilbert Burns, I think it’s a beautiful fight, a beautiful matchup,” Buckley said during the UFC on ESPN 56 post-fight news conference. “I don’t know when he’s going to be cleared or when he’s going to be ready, but Gilbert Burns definitely.”
“Durinho” is all too happy to oblige.
“Let’s do it,” Burns said on his “Show Me The Money” podcast. “The way I see it like, I’m not in the situation to call anyone out or to pick and choose. OK, I’m No. 6, I think, right now. I don’t know. If they send me, I’ll say yes now. I never say no to a fight, and I’m not planning on start doing.”
Burns, a former title challenger, finds himself in unfamiliar waters after losing two fights in a row for the first time in his career to Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. Prior to that, he’d scored back-to-back wins over Neil Magny and Jorge Masvidal.
