Gilbert Burns left his gloves in the Octagon after his TKO loss to Mike Malott at UFC Winnipeg on Saturday, ending a 14-year MMA career with no regrets and a quiet sense of peace about everything he gave the sport.
The retirement was kept completely private before the fight. No one outside Burns' inner circle knew he was considering stepping away, making the post-fight moment all the more emotional when it unfolded in front of the Winnipeg crowd.
Burns explained that the decision came from a place of honesty with himself in the moment, the fight was not going the way he planned.
"I gave everything to the sport," Burns told MMA Junkie. "When I wasn't able to execute the game plan, when I felt he's a little faster, stronger, a little bit this and that, then I was kind of like, 'OK, if I cannot beat Mike Malott.' Nothing against him. He's a real contender. He's a good fighter, but I don't think he's the top of the division like the other guys were. I said, 'I will be honest. If I cannot beat him, that's it.'"
He had gone into the fight with a clear fork in the road mapped out. A win over Malott would have led to a callout of Colby Covington and a push for a fight during International Fight Week. A loss meant retirement.
On the question of regrets, Burns was equally clear. "No regrets. I think I learned so much through the losses through the career. I don't think I would change much. It was a great learning experience, growing experience. It was a good journey."
He also reflected on what his career means as a lesson for his children, saying the message he wants them to take is about the value of full commitment to a goal regardless of the outcome.
"They see the sacrifice, they see me training every day. Sometimes the results don't come my way. And then I say, 'But you guys saw the journey, right?' I didn't leave any stone unturned. I did everything. But sometimes the result is not going to come. It's just life."
Burns finishes his career with a record of 22-10 in MMA and 15-10 inside the UFC, including a world title challenge against Kamaru Usman and victories over some of the most recognizable names in the welterweight division's history.
