Gilbert Burns retires after UFC Winnipeg knockout loss

Gilbert Burns retired from mixed martial arts Saturday night after Mike Malott stopped him in the third round at UFC Winnipeg, the Brazilian’s fifth consecutive loss.

Burns entered the Canada Life Centre main event riding a four-fight skid but told the post-fight show he was “1,000 percent confident” heading into the bout, per MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin. When Malott connected with a combination that floored him at 2:08 of the final frame, Burns knew his time was done. “I was crazy confident I was going to get the win,” Burns said. “I knew if something goes wrong, I don’t want to do this no more. Not because of anyone. Because I’m not showing my 100 percent. Maybe the age or whatever but I feel a little stuck. The fire is still there but I’m still a little stuck. I cannot let go. If I cannot win, if I cannot show everything that I have, I don’t want to do this.”

Burns never turned down a fight at welterweight

The 38-year-old welterweight retires with a 22-10 record overall and a 15-10 mark inside the Octagon. He challenged Kamaru Usman for the belt in 2021 and went to war with Khamzat Chimaev in 2022, one of the highest-rated scraps of the past five years. According to Sherdog’s live coverage, Burns tried to keep Malott at distance with leg kicks early but could not solve the Canadian’s jab or takedown defense. Malott dropped him with an uppercut-hook combination in the second round, then finished the job with an overhand right and follow-up ground strikes in the third.

Burns left his gloves in the cage and addressed the Winnipeg crowd through tears, thanking Dana White, Sean Shelby, and the broadcast crew. “I work so hard, but I think that’s it,” he said, as reported by MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee. “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. But I’m content. I always tried to challenge myself, I fought everybody.” Burns revealed he plans to move into MMA management and open his own academy in south Florida, where he will pass along the lessons he learned across two decades in jiu-jitsu and cage fighting.

Malott improved to 14-2-1 and logged his fourth straight win, positioning himself as a legitimate contender at 170 pounds. Burns’ family joined him in the cage for an extended ovation.

Photo by Wade Austin Ellis 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