Gilbert Burns wants to coach The Ultimate Fighter against Colby Covington.
The 36-year-old advanced his promotional record to 14-5 after defeating Neil Magny at UFC 283. A day later, Burns went on Twitter to call out Covington:
“@ColbyCovMMA TUF???”
Burns was a massive betting favorite heading into UFC 283. The Brazilian exceeded expectations by securing a first-round submission against a solid fighter in Magny. ‘Durinho’ is now back in the win column after losing to Khamzat Chimaev in a 2022 Fight of the Year candidate.
The No.5-ranked welterweight already has an opponent in mind for his next fight. Covington is currently ranked number two and doesn’t have a fight booked. He last fought in March, dominating his way to a unanimous decision against Jorge Masvidal.
‘Chaos’ vs. ‘Durinho’ would be an intriguing matchup, but the American has gone ghost since getting sucker-punched by Masvidal outside of the octagon a few months back.
What’s next for Gilbert Burns?
On March 18 at UFC 286, Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman will end their trilogy with the UFC welterweight championship on the line. Once their rivalry is settled, the division will be wide open for the top contenders.
Covington is currently the No.2-ranked contender, while Usman has the spot of the top contender. However, ‘Chaos’ is engaged in a legal battle with Jorge Masivdal for damage suffered from a physical altercation at a Miami restaurant. Hence, the 34-year-old might remain inactive until his legal issues are settled.
The next ranked welterweight is Khamzat Chimaev. ‘Borz’ is worthy of a title shot, but he drastically missed weight in his last fight and might move up to middleweight permanently. The only other welterweight ranked before Gilbert Burns is Belal Muhammad, who most believe needs another win before getting a title shot.
‘Durinho’ reminded everyone how dangerous he is by quickly taking out Neil Magny at UFC 283. The Brazilian wants to take advantage of his growing star power and fight someone ahead of him. During his last fight week, Burns stated that Muhammad had declined to fight him, leaving Covington as his likely opponent.
The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 coaches are yet to be announced – Burns and Covington wouldn’t be a bad idea. The question is, does ‘Chaos’ plan to fight in 2023? If he doesn’t, ‘Durinho’ might have to fight someone ranked lower than him again.
Watch Gilbert Burns submit Neil Magny below:
