UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns expects to get a big fight next as promised by Dana White after his thrilling clash with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273.
After his exceptional performance against Khamzat Chimave at UFC 273, Gilbert Burns was awarded his win money in addition to the bonuses and show money. ‘Durinho’ put on the fight of the night with a gritty performance that had the fans going crazy in excitement as well as the fighters.
In a recent interview with Ag Fight, Gilbert Burns shared that UFC president Dana White was delighted by his performance and promised to give him a big fight next.
“I expected the win, but it happens. It had a great repercussion, everybody liked the fight. Yesterday, I had a meeting with Dana White, he was thrilled. He said my next fight is going to be a big one. I don’t know who it’s going to be against, but I liked what he said. He promised me a big fight. I chose to believe him and I’m at ease now. Let’s wait and see.”
Burns signed a six-fight deal ahead of his title bout with Kamaru Usman. With two more fights since the title challenge, there are still three more fights left on his current deal. However, the Brazilian fighter feels like he can get the deal renegotiated and come out with a better contract.
“It’s almost certain that they’ll give me a new contract.” Burns said. “I renewed it in my fight against Usman. It was six fights. I fought Kamaru, Thompson and now Chimaev. I still had three more to go, but it’s ‘promised’ that they’ll give me a new one. I hope it all works out. It’s not certain, but I think I can ask for a new one after a performance like that.” (h/t Bloody Elbow).
Gilbert Burns puts on a show at UFC 273
At UFC 273, Gilbert Burns went in as a big underdog, having been written off by a good chunk of the community in one of the most highly anticipated bouts. Taking on the hype train of Khamzat Chimaev, the former title challenger proved the doubters wrong as he undeniably became the Chechen’s toughest test to date, in a narrowly fought contest that saw Chimaev take the win via unanimous decision.
Chimaev revealed that he got two more bonuses from Dana White after the event and expects to face Burns again at some point in the future. Burns feels like he did Chimaev a favor and is looking to get the rematch back down the line for its return. At a time when very few fighters were willing to take on Chimaev, who was ranked eleventh at the time, the second-ranked welterweight Burns came in to accept the challenge.
In a fight that Chimaev technically won, there were no losers as Burns’s stock has only gone up since the result. He’s become more of a fan favorite and gained a following in the process. A future fight with a big name like Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, or even Dustin Poirier could be on the horizon. Colby Covington may also be an option, but it’s unlikely given the promotion’s plans to match him up against Chimaev in a top contender fight.