Gilbert Burns ended his 25-fight career after losing to Mike Malott in the main event of UFC Winnipeg, but he has no plans to slow down. “Durinho” won’t put on MMA gloves ever again, but that doesn’t mean he’s walking away from the combat sports world.
The one-time UFC welterweight title contender walked away from the sport with a 22-10 record, going 15-10 under the UFC banner with key wins over the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley, and Stephen Thompson, and said that one of his goals is to prepare the next generation for the biggest stage.
“I’ve closed that chapter, and now a new phase of my life is beginning, one where I’m going to give it my all and dedicate myself to doing a lot of things,” Burns said on his YouTube channel. “I already have a plan to become a manager. That plan had been sitting in a drawer and now it’s time to take it out and start organizing it. I think there’s a lot I can do to help athletes make it to the UFC, and get there the right way. There are a lot of managers who just put a fighter there and do the bare minimum, but don’t really help them build a proper professional career. I want to help them with social media, relationships, and becoming a brand.
Burns will open his own gym soon in Boca Raton, Fla., and stay active training, but likely never spar again. In terms of competition, Burns looks to step on the mats and chase a gold medal at the World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship, scheduled for the first week of September in Las Vegas. The first challenge is already booked for July 11 in Rio de Janeiro, when he faces off with Piter Frank at Connect Heroes.
“I’m definitely going to compete in jiu-jitsu this year,” Burns said. “There’s a big IBJJF tournament, the World Master, and I’m 100 percent going to compete. I want to become a jiu-jitsu world champion in the Master division. It’s not easy, so I’ll have to train like crazy.”
Now that he’s no longer on the UFC anti-doping program, Burns joked he could add some “poison” to his body in the future.
“Are we going to spice things up a little?” Burns said with a laugh. “Let’s run some tests first. Maybe we’ll add a little something. My levels were already high, they were good, but I’ve been thinking about it. Thinking a lot about it [laughs]. But I’ll definitely compete again. With the gi and no-gi. Let’s see when the next competition will be, but I already see myself staying active in Jiu-Jitsu soon.”
Burns should wait for after the World Master tournament before he “spices” things up, though, since the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has conducted doping control at the IBJJF events since 2013.
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