Gilbert Burns called it a career on Saturday. |
Getty/UFC
Retirement wasn’t initially part of the plan for Gilbert
Burns heading into UFC
Winnipeg.
However, those plans changed after the former welterweight title
challenger suffered a third-round technical knockout loss to
Mike
Malott in Saturday’s main event at the Canada Life Centre in
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Burns laid down his gloves in the
Octagon at the conclusion of the bout. It was the 39-year-old
Brazilian’s fifth consecutive loss within the Las Vegas-based
promotion.
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“I was crazy confident I was going to get the win,” Burns said on
the Paramount+ post-fight show. “I was 1,000 percent confident that
I was going to win. I knew if something goes wrong, I don’t want to
do this no more. Not because of anyone. Because I’m not showing my
100 percent. Maybe the age or whatever but I feel a little stuck.
The fire is still there but I’m still a little stuck. I cannot let
go.
“If I cannot win, if I cannot show everything that I have, I don’t
want to do this. I don’t want to get just a paycheck. I try and I
gave everything and if I cannot do it, then I cannot do it. It’s
fine. We move on. I’ve still got a lot of challenges that I want to
go through.”
“Durinho” rose to prominence after moving up from lightweight to
welterweight in 2019. After a four-bout winning streak that
included victories over the likes of Demian Maia
and Tyron
Woodley, Burns suffered a third-round TKO loss to Kamaru
Usman in a 170-pound title bout at UFC 258. The Kill Cliff FC
product remained a major factor in the division for the next couple
years, besting the likes of Stephen
Thompson, Neil Magny
and Jorge
Masvidal while giving Khamzat
Chimaev one of the most difficult tests of his promotional
tenure.
While his career didn’t end on a high note, Burns consistently
squared off against some of the top talents in the division even in
the twilight of his UFC tenure.
I was able to make a living, make a career,” Burns said. “Make a
living off the UFC. Off those MMA fights, off those battles. I was
able to make money, to own my house. I was able to do a lot of
things with money like financially, I’m stable. I was able to
invest money. I take care of my beautiful kids and my wife. So I’m
very happy.
“We always want to become the champion, the No. 1 [fighter]. I
tried as hard [as I could]. I tried so much. I gave my life to
that. I bleed. I sweat. I’m content with my career.”
The Next Step
Looking ahead, Burns plans to stay involved with MMA in more ways
than one.
“I still have a lot of challenges that I have to go through,” Burns
said. “I want to become an MMA manager, I think. I think I can do a
great job. I know how to make a career. I want to help these guys
in jiu-jitsu. I never want to open a gym, but I have a very close
friend of mine, Vagner
Rocha, who’s changing a lot of kids’ lives, and that’s what I
want to do. It’s not teaching kids martial arts, but it’s changing
those guys’ future. I’m going to open up a gym soon in South
Florida. I’m going to become an MMA manager. I’m going to take care
of my family and my kids, my wife.”