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Gilbert Burns demanded that he get to fight for a championship fight after his win over Jorge Masvidal. He threatened the UFC president Dana White to leave the UFC if he didn’t get the backup role for the upcoming fight between Colby Covington and Leon Edwards for the title. ‘Chaos’ has weighed in on Burns’ threat and reacted to it in a recent interview.

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‘Durinho’ clearly stated during UFC 287’s post-fight press conference that he wanted to leave the UFC if White didn’t offer him a title fight. But Dana White later addressed those demands and agreed to give Burns the backup role.

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Colby Covington addresses Gilbert Burns’ threat to Dana White

‘Chaos’ made an appearance on the ‘Submission Radio’ podcast ad discussed ‘Durinho’s threat toward Dana White to leave UFC if not given a title shot. He said, “Everybody’s complaining, dude.” 

He has no animosity towards the Brazilian fighter. But Covington suggests that instead of complaining and demanding a title shot, Burns should fight top-level fighters first. “You [Burns] just beat, what? No. 12 in the world in [Neil] Magny? You just beat, what? No. 11 in the world? That’s not deserving of a welterweight title shot or even to be in a backup position, guys,” said the former interim champion.

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Colby Covington believes that Gilbert Burns hasn’t proved himself yet in the division. He added, “He needs to go out there and earn his way up, beat the top marquee of the division, the top fighters in the division. Stop asking, ‘oh I deserve this, I deserve that’.”

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‘Chaos’ claims to have earned his title opportunity

Covington mentions that he never asked anything from Dana White. He also mentioned that when the UFC decided to strip him of his championship, he still did not complain. ‘Chaos’ said, “I never cried. I never went out there and said, ‘Oh, Dana [White] didn’t do this’.” He added, “Did I cry? Did I when I got stripped of the world title without actually ever losing it? No, I didn’t cry.”

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He states that after getting stripped from his championship status; he got back to square one and earned his title shot against Leon Edwards. “I went out there and got back to the grindstone. I got back to work… started putting in everything I need to do to put myself to be in the position I am in today.”

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Covington claims that the UFC is more focused on numbers and selling as many pay-per-views as possible. He doesn’t believe Gilbert Burns has become that big of a star and needs to earn his way to the top.

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What are your thoughts on Colby Covington’s statements about the 5th-ranked welterweight fighter? Drop your comments below.

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Himanga Mahanta

4,196 Articles

Himanga Mahanta is a Senior UFC Writer at EssentiallySports and a key pillar of the combat sports team. With over three years in sports journalism, he leads the site’s MMA PPV Live Coverage Desk, closely working with real-time updates, in-depth analysis, and trend-driven insights that keep fans ahead of the curve. From breaking news and beat reports to exclusive stories and sharp opinion pieces, Himanga’s coverage spans the full spectrum of the MMA world. His insightful reporting has earned recognition within the combat sports community, including mentions from notable figures such as Chael Sonnen. A keen observer of fight dynamics and a devoted Conor McGregor fan, Himanga blends passion with journalistic precision, making his work a reliable go-to for UFC followers worldwide.

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Anuj Jacob

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