Gilbert Burns is pretty bothered by Nate Diaz’s recent comments about him.
After Jorge Masvidal initially failed to come to terms with the UFC, Burns (18-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) was announced as the next challenger for welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 251.
Diaz (20-12 MMA, 18-11 UFC), who’s known to have had his fair share of negotiation issues with the UFC, took aim at Burns for allegedly settling for less just so he can fight for the title. After Burns was forced to withdraw from UFC 251 due to a positive COVID-19 test, the promotion circled back to Masvidal, who will now face Usman this Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
And Diaz was quick to chime in after the new announcement, calling Usman vs. Masvidal a “real fight” on Twitter after he initially dissed Usman vs. Burns.
Insulted by Diaz’s remark, Burns responded.
“He’s a journeyman. I think I can beat the (expletive) out of Nate Diaz any day of the week,” Burns told ESPN. “Even with corona on me, I believe I can beat Nate Diaz. I can outbox him, outgrapple him, I can slap that guy up easily. The guy comes out and (makes) those comments like – I’m a real fighter too, bro. I used to respect these guys a lot, but guess what? I’m a real fighter, too. You fought Conor (McGregor) on a couple of days’ notice. I fought a Russian guy, 20-0, on a couple days’ notice.
“It bothered me a little bit, because I’m a real fighter, too.”
Since moving up to 170 pounds, Burns has quickly risen to title contention, winning four fights in less than a year. It all started with a short-notice call to face formerly undefeated Alexey Kunchenko last August in Uruguay, and Burns hasn’t looked back since, most recently dominating former champion Tyron Woodley in May.
Burns is hoping to get the winner of Usman vs. Masvidal, but if Masvidal wins, he’s not holding his breath.
Gilbert Burns fires back at 'journeyman' Nate Diaz, says he'd beat him 'even with corona'