“BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal doesn’t fancy the idea of a five-round fight against this former title challenger.
After months of making his intentions known, former UFC title contender Gilbert Burns finally got his wish. “Durinho” will now co-headline UFC 287 against the first and only “BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal.
Burns, however, wants to up the ante. He now wants a five-rounder with the “BMF” title on the line.
Come on @danawhite April 8 has to be 5 rounds! Put that belt on the line! Everybody knows It’s only one guy in the @ufc that fights ANYONE! #ufc287 pic.twitter.com/XRYhB2phLP
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) January 30, 2023
“Gamebred” got the chance to respond to the new challenge in his Monday appearance on the MMA Hour.
“[If] they pay me BMF money, which the UFC ain’t going to pup it up for more money, so sorry Gilbert. I already got my contract. I already signed my shit. I could give a f–k less,” said Masvidal, who recently parted ways with his longtime management team.
“Three rounds is more than enough that I need for Gilbert. I like all the publicity and extra that he’s putting into it, but brother, three rounds is all I need for that.”
Masvidal so far has nothing but compliments towards Burns, an opponent he sees as an ideal matchup.
“I’m glad it’s a guy like Gilbert. … I’ve been in this sport, and it’s only been to fight the best of the best of the best in the world, and he’s perfect in a lot of ways for me to test my grappling, because I know he’s going to come test me in grappling.
“I know he’s going to talk a big game that he’s going to come and strike with me and all this BMF shit, but at the end of the day, I’m ‘Gamebred,’ he’s Gilbert, he’s going to go for the takedown, 100 miles per hour and hope that he gets in, and if that fails, he’ll come strike with me.
“So I’m going to be prepared to grapple him, and the next and the next and the next, because I know I’ve got the hands to beat all these guys. I’ve got the knees and elbows that change lives in seconds. I’ve just got to fine-tune a couple things, and I’ve been working on it.”
UFC 287 happens on April 8 at a still undetermined venue. Headlining the event is the middleweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.