“I Don’t Care if You Cannot Make Weight”: Gilbert Burns Rips Apart Belal Muhammad’s Demand to Fight at Middleweight Ahead of Their UFC 288 Bout
Follow Us
Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad‘s recently confirmed bout has been the talk of the town of late. The fight which will serve as the co-main bout at UFC 288 will see the two welterweights battle it out in what could turn out to be a title contender fight for the division.
As we head into the event, Burns, 36, while speaking to ‘Submission Radio’, opened up about the discussions that led to the fight and expressed his views on facing another top contender in Muhammad. While doing so, the Brazilian also sent out a message to his opponent as he shut down talks of Muhammad facing a difficult weight cut due to Ramadan.
Gilbert Burns addresses the Belal Muhammad fight
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Talking about the bumpy talks that took place before the fight date was settled, ‘Durinho’ remarked that it was Muhammad who first asked for a fight at middleweight. Although he claimed to understand the difficulties of cutting weight and fighting during Ramadan, Burns went on to ask his opponent to stop making excuses despite that.
“I get it you’re Muslim, you’re doing Ramadan but along the same way, I don’t care, I’m not Muslim. You do whatever you want, you know. I respect, it’s not that I’m talking sh*t. You do whatever you have to do but don’t ask for excuses,” he stated.
Trending
Dana White & UFC Miss Out on $1.38 Billion Worth Achievement as Conor McGregor Awfully Falls Short of 3-Year-Old Feat
May 18, 2024 01:21 PM EDT
“Lost That Advantage…Won’t Be Special” – Joe Rogan Gives Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Narrated Reality Check for Young MMA Fighters
May 19, 2024 11:49 AM EDT
“What R U Doing” – Conor McGregor’s Training Footage With Dee Devlin Causes a Stir Among Fans Ahead of Michael Chandler Fight at UFC 303
May 19, 2024 06:42 AM EDT
“All of Them Are Lazy” – Khabib Nurmagomedov Responds After Joe Rogan and Royce Gracie Praise the Dagestani Camp
May 18, 2024 09:34 AM EDT
“It’s a Wild One” – Joe Rogan Drops the Most “Interesting” JRE Episode Yet; Fans React to Terrance Howard’s Appearance
May 18, 2024 10:54 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
For the fifth-ranked welterweight, it all comes down to his desire to fight for the welterweight title; and fighting in a different division didn’t make too much sense for the Brazilian. Pointing out the brutal nature of the fight game, Burns then remarked that he had no obligation to agree to Muhammad’s request to fight at middleweight.
“You’re not my friend. We’re going to a war. Why should I help you and give you anything? I don’t care if you cannot make weight,” he said.
Reiterating his desire to fight for UFC gold, the Brazilian once again emphasized the importance of the fight as he urged Muhammad to make weight successfully.
“If you really want to fight, it’s going to be for number one contender. Just make weight.”
Burns vs Muhammad to co-headline UFC 288
After the disappointing news that the Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush fight won’t be going ahead owing to an injury to the former lightweight champ, UFC 288 saw Burns and Muhammad getting announced barely a couple of weeks away from the event.
For fans, this news came as a sweet surprise after the initial disappointment that came from the cancellation of the original co-main bout. With this opportunity, both Burns and Muhammad will be aiming to get the spotlight on themselves in what is an extremely entertaining card.
View this post on Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
A win here could mean a title shot for either of them, although another individual in the form of Colby Covington could also play spoilsport in the future.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
What do you think of Burns’s statement? Will the winner earn a shot at the title? Let us know in the comment section below.
Watch This Story: Conor McGregor Responds to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s GOAT List
Edited by:
Rohini Kottu