Gilbert Burns Issues Post-UFC 273 Statement Aimed At Rankings Panel
UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns is hoping that he won’t be penalized in the latest UFC rankings after taking a risk against Khamzat Chimaev.
Burns and Chimaev fought in a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate at UFC 273. After three rounds of brutal back-and-forth action, Chimaev earned the win on the judges’ scorecards.
Entering UFC 273, Chimaev was ranked No. 11 in the welterweight rankings while Burns was slated at No. 2. Despite the disparity in the rankings, Burns accepted a fight with Chimaev amidst the upstart star’s hype train.
In a recent tweet, Burns reflected on his fight at UFC 273 while also encouraging his welterweight colleagues to not worry about how certain matchups may impact their ranks.
“Where I’m landing in the rankings tomorrow?” Burns asked. “To be honest I don’t care. Just wants to see if they will courage the guys to do that, or if they will do opposite.
“Happy Monday! Fight against the odds and make your mark! They at least will respect you! Do it today!”
Burns’ comments come after he criticized former title challenger Colby Covington and encouraged him to fight a real contender next. Covington called out Dustin Poirier for his next UFC outing, despite Poirier being non-committal about a move to welterweight.
Before his loss to Chimaev, Burns earned an impressive win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 264. He lost a welterweight title shot to Kamaru Usman at UFC 258.
Burns should be pleased that he was not dinged much in this week’s rankings, only falling one spot to #4 while Chimaev now occupies his former #3 ranking. Thus, as Burns hoped, fighters should not be too discouraged from fighting down in the rankings, especially if they can turn in a Fight of the Year candidate should they face defeat.
Do you think fighters will be encouraged or discouraged to fight down in the rankings after seeing Chimaev vs. Burns and the ensuing rankings update?
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Gilbert Burns Issues Post-UFC 273 Statement Aimed At Rankings Panel