UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is planning to make a statement at Sean Brady's expense on Saturday night.
The pair will headline this weekend's UFC Fight Night at the Apex in Las Vegas, with Burns tasked with defending his #6 position on the divisional ladder off the back of consecutive defeats.
After falling short across five rounds against then-future champion Belal Muhammad in May 2023, an injury suffered in that fight kept "Durinho" on the sidelines until this past April's UFC 299 pay-per-view in Miami.
Although he was just less than two minutes away from a crucial bounce-back victory on the scorecards, he was the victim of a late comeback from Jack Della Maddalena, who rallied to stop him by way of TKO.
That's left the 38-year-old in desperate need of a return to winning ways. But more than just rebounding, the Brazilian sees a chance to move to within touching distance of the title against a former opponent of Muhammad's...
Burns Envisions Emphatic Finish Of Brady To Secure Title Eliminator
During a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Burns looked ahead to his second Octagon assignment of 2024, detailing his hopes for fight night and what he anticipates coming as a result of a strong display.
Despite losing two on the bounce and slipping outside the top five at 170 pounds, "Durinho" believes the manner of his performance this weekend could determine whether he earns a title eliminator next time out, especially if he can go above and beyond what now-champ Muhammad accomplished at Brady's expense back in 2022.
I do believe if I go out there and look phenomenal against Sean Brady, then I get another guy, maybe Leon (Edwards), Colby (Covington), Kamaru (Usman). Then beat one of those guys, then I'm there, on the top," Burns said. "I do believe if I do my homework this Saturday good, show up there and finish Sean Brady, you know, better than Belal did โ if I go out there and after that, for sure rest a little bit, come back with a good training camp and beat one of the top guys, I'm there fighting for the title.
Burns will look to move closer to his late-career second title shot coming to fruition this weekend by making good on his vow to stop Brady in violent fashion when they headline Saturday's UFC Fight Night at the Apex.