Gilbert Burns may end up targeting a fight with Nate Diaz soon.
When Burns was given the title shot against Kamaru Usman over Jorge Masvidal, Diaz wasn’t a fan as he criticized the fight and also mocked both fighters claiming he made more than both of them.
When Burns had to pull out of the title bout last week after testing positive for COVID-19, Masvidal stepped in which was the fight many had originally expected. Diaz voiced his approval and once again mocked Burns by claiming real fights were better were better fights.
Burns: Diaz Is A Journeyman
Burns would hit back at Diaz both times and in a recent interview, claimed he would be able to beat the Stockton native up even while having the coronavirus.
“He’s a journeyman. I think I can beat the (expletive) out of Nate Diaz any day of the week,” Burns told ESPN (via The Mac Life). “Even with corona on me, I believe I can beat Nate Diaz. I can outbox him, outgrapple him, I can slap that guy up easily.
“The guy comes out and (makes) those comments like – I’m a real fighter too, bro. I used to respect these guys a lot, but guess what? I’m a real fighter, too. You fought Conor (McGregor) on a couple of days’ notice. I fought a Russian guy, 20-0, on a couple days’ notice. It bothered me a little bit, because I’m a real fighter, too.”
While Burns will naturally be targeting a title shot when he is ready to return — and ideally hoping that Usman retains his strap — another option could certainly be Diaz. That is, if the latter is open to facing him at all.
What do you make of Burns vs. Diaz?