5 potential opponents for Gilbert Burns after his setback at UFC 273

After his loss to Khamzat Chimaev, what's next for Gilbert Burns?

This weekend saw former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns fall to super-prospect Khamzat Chimaev in what was probably the best fight of 2022 thus far.

Burns may have lost, but after pushing Chimaev all the way, his stock remains high – so who should ‘Durinho’ face off with next?

Where I’m landing in the rankings tomorrow? To be honest I don’t care. Just wants to see if they will courage the guys to do that, or if they will do opposite 🤷🏾‍♂️

Happy Monday! Fight against the odds and make your mark! They at least will respect you! Do it today! https://t.co/OFpTm4d9bF

Thankfully, the UFC’s welterweight division has no shortage of potential opponents for the Brazilian to face, whether they’re proven veterans or rising contenders.

With that in mind, here are five potential opponents for 'Durinho' after his setback at UFC 273.

#5. Gilbert Burns vs. Sean Brady

Could Sean Brady step up to face 'Durinho' in the biggest challenge of his career?

After his loss to Khamzat Chimaev, there’s probably an argument to suggest that now that he’s out of title contention, Gilbert Burns ought to be used as a high-end gatekeeper by the UFC going forward.

If that’s the case, then a good opponent for him might be Sean Brady, who is currently ranked as the No.8-ranked welterweight in the promotion following his win over Michael Chiesa last November.

Sean Brady remains undefeated and confident in his grappling 😤 #UFCVegas43 https://t.co/BjhF3VyO5t

Currently 5-0 in the octagon and 15-0 in his MMA career overall, Brady is a high-level grappler fighting out of Philadelphia, and at the age of 29, he’s probably just about entering his prime.

He’s also looking for a bigger test after he outgrappled Chiesa, something that few fighters have been able to do to ‘Maverick’ since his move to welterweight.

Burns, of course, would be a far bigger test. Not only is ‘Durinho’ a world-class grappler, but he showed in his fight with Chimaev that it’s very tricky to hold him down on the ground.

Would Brady stand any chance of winning this bout? On paper, Burns would be a very difficult match for him, but then the prospect has always been able to step up to the plate previously, meaning it’d be impossible to count him out here.

Overall, this fight could make for an excellent Fight Night headliner later in 2022, and could be worth pursuing.