BREAKING: Gilbert Burns to face Belal Muhammad in a five-round co-main event matchup at UFC 288
The much-discussed matchup between Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad has now been made official by the UFC. Burns is fresh off a unanimous decision win against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287 on April 8.
That said, Gilbert Burns asserted that he'd like to make a quick turnaround and notch another victory as he looks to earn a shot at UFC welterweight gold. 'Durinho' had lately been lobbying for a fight against a fellow welterweight elite. On that note, Burns and Belal Muhammad subsequently tweeted that they'd be interested in fighting one another.
Meanwhile, the co-main main event matchup for the upcoming UFC 288 event, which is scheduled to transpire on May 6, fell apart. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the UFC 288 co-headliner -- a lightweight bout between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush -- has been postponed. Oliveira withdrew from UFC 288 owing to an injury.
May 6! Co main #ufc288 ☎️ https://t.co/pa4OPiJVRJ
UFC president Dana White suggested that the organization would look for another fight to serve as the UFC 288 co-headliner. Considering the variables at play, the potential Burns-Muhammad matchup soon became a frontrunner to serve as the UFC 288 co-main event.
The UFC has now officially announced the fight via its Twitter handle. As seen in the tweet below, Burns will face Muhammad in a five-round welterweight bout, which will be the co-headliner at UFC 288.
Check out the tweet below:
Welterweights WATCH OUT 👀
@BullyB170 vs @GilbertDurinho has been confirmed as a 5-round co-main event for #UFC288 on May 6th! https://t.co/qLnc9CNU2E
Presently, Burns holds the No. 5 spot in the official UFC welterweight rankings, whereas Muhammad stands at No. 4. It's believed that their clash will be truly pivotal in the UFC welterweight division, as its winner could possibly be given a title shot later this year.
When Gilbert Burns laid out his 2023 roadmap to a potential UFC title shot
In an edition of Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast a few months ago, Gilbert Burns revealed his roadmap for a shot at the UFC welterweight title. Burns previously challenged then-UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman for the title in February 2021 but lost via third-round TKO. Regardless, during the aforesaid podcast edition, 'Durinho' vowed to earn another title shot.
Gilbert Burns explained that he'd like to fight three times in 2023 and ideally attempt to secure three stoppage victories. He highlighted that this would surely bag him another shot at the UFC welterweight belt.
Moreover, he insinuated that many fighters are evading him, besides correctly predicting a stoppage against Magny. Outlining his title plans, Burns stated:
"I respect the guy [Neil Magny] but in [a perfect world] it would be three finishes, earning the title shot... I don't want to beg, I don't want to ask, I don't want any favors."
Watch Burns discuss the topic at 28:45 in the video below: