Every dog has his day and for Gilbert Burns that day is getting closer and closer.
Mixed martial arts is often described as a young athlete’s sport, and UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is beginning to feel the effects of that reality.
At 38 years old, with 22 fights under his belt in the Octagon, Burns is still ranked highly at #6. Despite his age, the former title challenger isn’t ready to call it quits. He’s determined to bounce back from a two-fight losing streak and revive his chances for a late-career championship run.
Burns recently suffered a tough loss to Jack Della Maddalena, who mounted a late comeback, which followed an injury-plagued defeat against current champion Belal Muhammad. Now, “Durinho” finds himself in need of a crucial win. He has the opportunity to do just that this weekend, headlining a UFC Fight Night at the Apex against highly regarded grappler Sean Brady.
Burns acknowledges that he’s in the twilight of his fighting career, with the end in sight. However, he’s confident that he still has enough left in the tank, something he’s eager to demonstrate in the “handful of fights” he has remaining.
“I’m getting freaking old,” Burns admitted. “Ten years in the UFC has been great, but I’m not sure how much longer I have left. I’ve still got a few fights in me, so I’m not here for a long time. I still think I have a couple of good fights left, but not many. Not two handfuls, but at least one.”
One of those remaining battles takes place this weekend against the 16-1 Brady, who holds the #8 spot in the welterweight rankings after a kimura submission victory over Kelvin Gastelum last December.
A win over the Philadelphia native could propel Burns back into the top five of the division, where another shot at the title might still be within reach for the seasoned Brazilian veteran.