Gilbert Burns believes he would’ve easily beaten Belal Muhammad had he not been compromised.
Burns (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Muhammad this past May at UFC 288, where he suffered a torn left shoulder early in the fight. Burns is eager to run things back with Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) someday and vows the outcome will be drastically different if he got the chance.
Muhammad also revealed that he entered their fight with a sprained ankle.
“One hundred percent me healthy, I would destroy Belal Muhammad, and I would get that win back,” Burns told TMZ. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen right now, but it’s going to happen, and I’ll show everybody that I’m way better than him.”
Burns avoided surgery, and is now ready to jump into a training camp and book a fight, preferably in one of the upcoming pay-per-views early next year.
“I’m clear, no pain, shoulder is moving good,” Burns said. “All range of motion is back, strength. I’d say anything March or April. UFC 299 or UFC 300, I’ll be ready to go.”
If Burns could pick, he’d love to fight Colby Covington, who challenges welterweight champion Leon Edwards for the title in the UFC 296 headliner on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas. “Durinho” is picking Edwards to win.
“I would love to fight Colby,” Burns said. “I still got to wait for a lot of things to happen, but I think Leon Edwards is going to get the win. But who knows when he’s going to come back or when either one of these guys is going to come back? That would be my No. 1 pick.”
