Gilbert Burns explains the "only regret" he has with taking Khamzat Chimaev fight
Gilbert Burns has revealed what he regrets following his unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273. The two fighters put on an instant classic, each taking home the Fight of the Night bonus. Many questioned why Burns, the No.2-ranked welterweight at the time, would accept a fight against a considerably lower-ranked opponent.
Speaking to Daniel Cormier and Ryan Clark on EPSN MMA, 'Durinho' revealed that he'd asked for the fight to be five rounds, not three:
"The only regret I have is accepting the fight on three rounds, I should have accepted the fight on five rounds like I asked."
Daniel Cormier responded:
"It's crazy though because now we are seeing that, that the third fight from the main event can be five rounds. We saw it with Nate Diaz, we saw it with Nick Diaz."
DC shared that he felt if the fight had been five rounds, the momentum would have started to sway in Durinho's favor. Burns, with respect to 'Borz', stated that it doesn't mean he would have won if they were to go another two rounds, but was adamant that he wasn't finished with him either.
Khamzat Chimaev had only received one significant strike in his four previous UFC fights before stepping into the octagon with Gilbert Burns. 'Durinho', over the course of the three rounds, outstruck the Swede 119-108.
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Gilbert Burns explains why he's "different" than the other fighters in his division
In the same interview, Burns was also asked about the change in his ranking after the loss and if he would still have taken the fight knowing the outcome:
"Absolutely, even if I get beat up, I'm a fighter. I'm different from these guys... If you're not the champion or number one, you're just a number."
The welterweight clash has had a big impact on the rankings in the division. 'Durinho' has dropped two places to No.4, while 'Borz' shot up the rankings by eight places to No.3. News of his new ranking hasn't affected the Brazilian and he went onto explain that it is just a number and he won't become champion if he doesn't take risks.
You can watch the full interview with Gilbert Burns on ESPN MMA's YouTube channel with Daniel Cormier here:
Burns expects Chimaev to face the No.1-ranked Colby Covington next, but maintains he will be ready should the two meet again inside the octagon.