Gilbert Burns retires after UFC Winnipeg knockout loss

Gilbert Burns walked into UFC Winnipeg confident he could beat Mike Malott and snap a four-fight losing streak. When Malott dropped him with a right uppercut and finished him at 2:08 of the third round, Burns left his gloves in the cage and called it a career.

The 40-year-old Brazilian told the post-fight show he went into the main event “1,000 percent confident” he would win, per MMA Fighting. “I knew if something goes wrong, I don’t want to do this no more,” Burns said. “If I cannot win, if I cannot show everything that I have, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to get just a paycheck.”

Burns’ run at 170 pounds defined by elite matchmaking

Burns retires 22-10 overall and 15-10 in the UFC, a run that included a 2021 title shot against Kamaru Usman and a war with Khamzat Chimaev widely considered one of the decade’s best welterweight fights. He could have protected his ranking by turning down dangerous opponents, he acknowledged Saturday, but he fought everyone the promotion offered. His recent skid included losses to Michael Morales, Jack Della Maddalena, and Belal Muhammad — all future or current champions.

“I gave my life to this sport,” Burns said, according to Sherdog’s live coverage. “I fought the best guys in the world, No. 1 pound-for-pound, a lot of guys former champions. I never said no to a fight.” Burns confirmed he plans to move into MMA management and open a school in south Florida, where he lives with his wife and children. He said the sport gave him financial stability, a home, and the ability to invest for his family’s future.

Malott improved to 14-2-1 and extended his win streak to four. The Canadian closed as a minus-255 favorite and controlled the standup from the opening bell, landing jabs and counters while stuffing every Burns takedown attempt. Burns told the Winnipeg crowd he worked “so hard” for the fight but accepted the outcome. “I’m content,” he said. “I always tried to challenge myself, I fought everybody.”

Photo by Daniil Zanevskiy on Unsplash

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Gilbert Burns explains decision to retire after UFC Winnipeg: ‘If I cannot win … I don’t want to do this’ | MMA Fighting
• mmafighting.com — UFC Winnipeg live blog: Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Malott | MMA Fighting
• sherdog.com — Mike Malott steps up ascent, storms past Gilbert Burns in UFC Winnipeg headliner