Gilbert Burns, a former training partner AND opponent of Kamaru Usman, doesn’t believe that the former champion has done enough to get the first crack at new 170-pound champ Belal Muhammad.
Muhammad, who defeated Leon Edwards by decision several weeks ago in Manchester to claim the UFC welterweight strap, has a long list of possible contenders for his first title defence, with the unbeaten duo of Shavkat Rakhkmonov and Ian Machado Garry as well as the unbeaten-in-the-UFC Aussie Jack Della Maddalena chief among the potential names.
The champion, though, has also mentioned a showdown with Usman — a fighter generally regarded as among the finest in UFC welterweight history, but who has also been defeated in his past three fights (Leon Edwards x2, Khamzat Chimaev) — but this isn’t sitting well with Burns.
“I think it would be a shame,” the Brazilian submissions specialist told MMA Junkie. “You know, the guy has three losses — that crazy high (kick knockout from Leon Edwards). And then he lost every match. ‘Oh, it was short notice.’ Yeah, but no one put a gun on your face and asked you to fight. You said, ‘Oh, I want to fight.’ So you fought. That’s still a loss. You need to bounce back.”
However, Burns notes that a fighter of Usman’s calibre does deserve an extra level of recognition — but added that he needs to get back into the win column first if he harbours realistic ambitions of regaining the 170-pound world title.
“He’s tough. I get it,” Burns said. “Three losses in a row, (but he) was the champion the ‘boogeyman,’ the No. 1 pound-for-pound. It’s a tough place. He needs (wins). He needs top-five wins. I don’t know — maybe (Usman) and Garry, Jack Della Maddalena, me.
“Who else is in there? Colby is there, but Colby is always in the closet. The closet’s closed, and then he’s over there and whenever it’s an easy thing, he shows up. Leon just lost. But I think Kamaru needs a win. He needs to look good because there’s three losses. He didn’t look good.”
Burns will hope to get his own title plans back on track when he takes on Sean Brady this weekend in Las Vegas.
