Gilbert Burns knows he’s going to get bombarded with questions about his future as he seeks to bounce back from four straight losses when he faces Mike Malott in Saturday’s UFC Winnipeg main event.
After nearly a year away from competition, the one-time UFC welterweight title challenger isn’t oblivious to the narrative about the pressure that comes along with avoiding a fifth consecutive defeat. That said, Burns is choosing to put the spotlight back on his opponent rather than ratcheting up unrealistic expectations when he’s already accomplished so much in his career.
“I’ve got to go into this fight with no pressure,” Burns told MMA Fighting. “For sure it’s a lot of pressure, I’ve got to win, I’ve got to get there. I’m already visualizing getting in the octagon and having that vibe of the de ja vu, the last time wasn’t good, the last couple times wasn’t good. But right after the [Michael] Morales fight, I took a little break, I needed to recover and spend time with the family.
“When we got back, I sat down with the team [I said] I still believe I can do this but I’ve got to change some little things around. I’ve got to get my confidence back. That was a major thing during the whole camp. Getting that confidence back and feeling relaxed in there.”
Nobody enjoys losing, but Burns recognizes his recent setbacks have all come against elite competition in the welterweight division. He’s not making any excuses because ultimately he needs to stop the bleeding with a win, but there’s no denying that he’s been going up against the absolute best of the best at 170 pounds.
“Because the Belal [Muhammad] fight, I got injured. No problem, I lost, Belal did his thing, became a champion right after that,” Burns explained. “Lost to Jack [Della Maddalena], was doing good for freaking 14 minutes until I ate a knee, got knocked out. Jack became a champion. Sean Brady, top 5. Michael Morales, top 5.
“These guys are the highest level in the division. So I’ve been doing a lot of good things too but the results weren’t there.”
Coming back from those losses and preparing for UFC Winnipeg, Burns sat down to have a heart-to-heart with his coaches to ensure he was making the right decision to compete again.
His passion for fighting never wavered, but Burns knows there are a lot of fighters who stick around well past their expiration date and he’s never wanted that for himself or his family.
“[I told all the coaches] I still think I can do this. I still want to do this,” Burns said. “I don’t need to do this. I’m set but I want to do this. I still believe it. So let’s get back to sparring, let’s get back to training. Before you get a date, let’s get back to sparring, let’s grapple a lot, let’s wrestle a lot. You want to get in good conditioning, great shape and that’s what I did. As I was sparring, I got back to having fun a little bit. Not just sparring for the fight but sparring a little bit before and having fun with this, grappling and everything and then it got to a point where I still had fun doing this. Not just pressure ‘I’ve got to win!’ No, honestly, the way I’m going into this fight, I’m way more confident but all the pressure is on freaking Mike Malott.
“I’m telling you. I’m 40 this year. I had a good career already. I’m going to Canada. I’m going to have fun. I’m going to go out there to do my thing. For sure, I want to win. For sure it’s a must-win but I’m not bringing all that heavy baggage that I’ve got to win. No, I’m going out there to do my best, showcase my skills. I do believe it’s a good matchup. It’s nothing easy but it is a good matchup and I’m putting all the pressure on this guy.”
Outside of fighting, Burns is busier than ever before.
He’s preparing to open a gym in Florida—something Burns honestly never thought would happen—and that’s on top of coaching at Kill Cliff, and doing podcasts and analyst work while also raising a family with three sons.
In theory, Burns could walk away from fighting tomorrow and he’d be completely satisfied with the résumé he’s put together, but he’s not setting a time limit on how much longer he plans to compete. Instead, he’s following a similar path as retired welterweight Matt Brown, who decided to call it a career after receiving a fight offer from the UFC and not feeling that same level of anticipation and excitement as he did in the past.
“I do have a lot going on outside of fighting but I like to fight but the results got to be there,” Burns said. “I still plan on doing a couple more but I’m playing it by ear just like Matt Brown. I heard that interview and I was looking to say it’s exactly like that. I cannot put a date. When I’m 36 [I’ll retire]. No, you’ve got to go and when the guys call you and [say] ‘do you want to fight this guy?’ and if I don’t feel it, I’m done.
“It’s not a date. It can be any moment from now on. But I do believe April 18, I’m putting a great performance on there, I’m training my butt off. No stone unturned for this camp. I’m putting everything [into it]. Sparring the hardest guys. Having good rounds. Grappling, wrestling, striking, everything in my power to be out there. I know if I’m there April 18, relaxed with a good mindset, knowing there’s a little bit of pressure but that’s OK, we’re here. Get in the octagon, feel a little bit, let that pressure go, let that first minute go and feel at home, I know I can get a win.”
Burns also believes there’s going to be plenty riding on this fight for Malott, who has long been tabbed as the next big thing coming out of Canada, but this is definitely his biggest test to date.
“I’ve done a lot of main events. This is your first main event,” Burns said about Malott. “That’s your hometown. You’ve going to try to get in the rankings. It’s all on you. Let’s go. That’s where my mind’s at.
“I’m still on that level. I hope everything goes my way and we get a good win and then kind of relax. Then we’ll see what’s next.”
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