Gilbert Burns is confident that he would have scored his 16th career finish had Jorge Masvidal not been suspiciously slippery during their co-main event clash on Saturday night.
Nevertheless, ‘Durinho’ was victorious, earning a dominant unanimous decision victory and handing Masvidal his fourth-straight loss inside the Octagon. Following the contest, Gilbert Burns suggested that ‘Gamebred’ used an “old dog” trick to combat his grapple-heavy attack.
“I was really looking forward for a finish, but I think it was a good fight,” Burns said at the UFC 287 post-fight press conference. “I try to put on a show every single time. I was really, really looking forward to a finish. I hit him with good shots, took him down a couple of times – if I’m not wrong, I had three takedown attempts, and I finished all three. A lot of wrestlers didn’t do that. A lot of guys, high-level wrestlers that he fought had trouble taking him down, and I didn’t.
“I think I showed a lot of improvement, and that guy was freaking slippery. That’s an old dog, Miami trick with the lotion because he was so slippery. Wow” (h/t MMA Fighting)
Before stepping inside the Octagon, fighters go through a routine check to ensure they don’t have any unnatural substances on their body. However, there are ways around that according to Burns.
“100 per cent – I do believe [he was greasing],” Burns said. “I know those old tricks those guys do. You know what they do? They wake up on [Saturday] and they take the first shower and they put a lot of lotion on the body. The skin absorbs the lotion, and then after three hours, you do it again, and then after you do it again, and then after you do it again, and your body absorbs. Whenever you start sweating a lot, [the lotion comes out]. For sure he did that, 100 percent he did. I’m telling you.
“I’m not telling you maybe, 100 percent. He was so slippery. Whenever you guys are watching the highlights, you’re going to see his skin’s bright. That guy, I’ve got to give it up to this guy. He does all the tricks.”
Gilbert Burns is Demanding a UFC Welterweight Title Opportunity
Despite the alleged greasing, Gilbert Burns was happy with his performance. ‘Durinho’ landed four out of six takedown attempts with a total control time of 5:41 on his way to a second-straight victory. By comparison, Masvidal’s last opponent, Colby Covington, landed six of 15 total attempts during their UFC 272 scrap last year.
“100 percent [I could have finished him],” he said. “I didn’t feel him strong at all. I saw a lot of little details that he did, he has a couple of good answers to get up, but remember, I’m not going to say names, but he fought a couple high-level wrestlers, he lost those. I had three takedown attempts, I finished all three.
“Whenever I get on top, he didn’t get up. I think he got up one time. But that’s it. I dominated the guy on the floor. If I had less lotion, if I had a little bit less lotion, I think I could get it done.”
After having his hand raised, Gilbert Burns was quick to call for a welterweight title opportunity, hoping to face the winner of Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington. Though the UFC is yet to confirm a date or location for the proposed 170-pound title fight, Burns believes it’s practically a done deal at this point.
“I almost say it’s a done deal Colby [Covington] and Leon [Edwards] in London, if I’m not wrong, it’s almost a done deal – just the little details,” Burns said. “I’m going to be the backup. I’m not asking. I’m demanding that I’m going to [be the backup], because whenever they ask, any time the UFC gives me a call asking for an opponent, I say yes. Now I’m demanding that I’m going out there, I’m going to do my training camp for five rounds, go to London, I’ll be the backup, and I’m next in line to fight for the title.
“Otherwise, let me go. Let me do my thing. These guys are making a million dollars in other organizations. That’s it. I’m the backup for the next fight, and I’m fighting for the title next.”