No. 5 ranked welterweight contender Gilbert Burns demanded to be the backup fighter for the upcoming title bout between champion Leon Edwards and Colby Covington, and get to face the winner. Following his win over Jorge Masvidal in the UFC 287 co-main event on Saturday, he asked to be released by the fight promotion if they opposed.
During his post-fight speech Burns made his demands and stuck with them during the post-fight press conference. UFC president Dana White responded to Burns’ ultimatum by granting Burns exactly what he wanted.
“I love that,” said White. “Deal. You’ve got a deal.”
With the win over Masvidal, Burns (22-5) is riding a two-fight winning streak. He’s won 9 of his last 11 fights with his two loses being a decision to Khamzat Chimaev and a TKO loss to former champion Kamaru Usman.
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Dana White responds to Gilbert Burns title fight demand: ‘You’ve got a deal’
