LAS VEGAS – Shane Burgos knows what he needs to do as he looks to catapult himself to the upper echelon of the UFC’s featherweight division.
Burgos (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) faces Josh Emmett in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 11 this Saturday looking to make it four wins in a row.
Speaking to reporters Thursday in a virtual media day session, Burgos admitted a decisive victory over Emmett (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) should earn him a shot against Top 5 opposition for his next fight. It means “Hurricane” is targeting not just a win, but a finish, at the UFC Apex.
“Yeah it definitely could (earn me a Top 5 fight),” Burgos admitted. “I gotta go out there and not just win though, like I’ve been saying all week. … I gotta go out there and put a stamp on this one. I gotta make a statement. As corny and cliché as it sounds, I gotta go out there not just beat Josh Emmett. … I gotta finish him.”
Since dropping down to featherweight, Emmett has scored eight knockdowns in his past five fights. Combine that with Burgos’ 7.09 significant strikes per minute – the highest rate in divisional history – and the signs are good for an action-packed matchup between two 145-pounders looking to break their way into title contention.
To hear more from Burgos, check out the video above.
UFC on ESPN 11's Shane Burgos plans big statement against Josh Emmett: 'I gotta finish him'
