Gilbert Burns demands Belal Muhammad fight at UFC 288
Gilbert Burns is looking to fight again very soon as he recently issued a challenge to Belal Muhammad for UFC 288 on May 6.
After it was confirmed that Charles Oliveira sustained an injury that forced his fight with Beneil Dariush to be rescheduled to UFC 289, Burns offered a suggestion to take the vacant co-main event spot. He issued a challenge to Muhammad, who has been vocal about being passed over for a title shot in favor of Colby Covington.
"May 6! Co main #UFC288"
May 6! Co main #ufc288 ☎️ https://t.co/pa4OPiJVRJ
'Durinho' is coming off a unanimous decision win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287, which saw him extend his winning streak to two-straight wins and 'Gamebred' announce his retirement after the bout. 'Remember The Name' responded to the challenge with an emoji and a video of him walking on a treadmill and sweating, which signifies that he has accepted.
The No.5 ranked welterweight replied to the video, writing:
"LFG!"
@bullyb170 LFG!
It will be interesting to see whether the UFC announces Burns vs. Muhammad as the new co-main event for the event and if it becomes an official title eliminator bout that will see the winner challenge either Covington or Leon Edwards after their fight.
Dana White confirms that Gilbert Burns will likely fight at UFC 288
☎️☎️☎️ Still waiting #ufc288 Co main where are the WW Top 5? 🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/IxTnTv2xSg
Dana White recently confirmed that the No.5 ranked welterweight will likely step in to compete in the co-main event at UFC 288 on May 6. He will have co-headlined back-to-back pay-per-view events should the promotion book him on the event.
During his post-event press conference following UFC Kansas City, White mentioned that the promotion is working on plans for 'Durinho' to be included on the upcoming pay-per-view, saying:
"He's [Gilbert Burns] been blowing me up all day too. So, probably."
The risk could be worth it for the former welterweight title challenger as he would have defeated another top-ranked welterweight in Belal Muhammad, which could set him up for the next title shot after Colby Covington and welterweight champion Leon Edwards eventually fight each other.
The current rankings would also work in 'Durinho' favor as 'Remember The Name' is currently ranked No.4. While, Khamzat Chimaev is expected to compete at middleweight, Kamaru Usman has lost back-to-back title fights to Edwards, and Covington is challenging 'Rocky' next.