Gilbert Burns taking Neil Magny ‘super seriously,’ says he needs finish at UFC 283
Gilbert Burns is eager to get a finish against Neil Magny.
Burns (20-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) meets Magny (27-9 MMA, 20-8 UFC) at UFC 283 on Jan. 21 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC and ESPN+.
Burns is coming off a barnburner against Khamzat Chimaev this past April, when he took the unbeaten star to the brink but ultimately fell short on the judges’ scorecards. Looking to kickstart another title run, “Durinho” knows he needs a statement finish of Magny, and that’s exactly what he’s seeking.
“I’m at a point right now where a win is not enough,” Burns said on Michael Bisping’s “Believe You Me” podcast. “I need to get a finish and in order to have that type of finish, the training camp is different. I’m putting a lot of work to make sure Jan. 21, I come ready to finish this guy. Not just a win, not a bullsh*t decision, not let’s see what the judges are gonna see. No, f*ck that. No more. I never like it, but after the last one even more now. I don’t want to depend on the judges. They’ve been messing up a lot of guys, so I have 15 minutes to finish this guy and don’t let the judges make a decision for me.”
He continued, “I’m taking him super seriously. Especially, like I said, I want a finish in Brazil. I don’t want just a decision, take the guy down and hold him down or whatever. No, I want a finish. So I’m working my butt off for this fight, and I do respect that guy so much, but I see I can finish him, and that’s exactly what I’m working towards.”
Burns fell short in his title pursuit in February 2021 in what was an action-packed fight against then-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. He knows he still has some work to do before getting another shot at gold, and he’s more than willing to earn it.
“My goal is to become a champion,” Burns said. “I want it more than ever now, because I know my time is closing. I’m 36. I don’t have 10 more years. So I want to get a couple of finishes and get another title shot and win the title.”
He continued, “Perfect would be three finishes and earning that title shot. I don’t want to beg, I don’t want to ask, I don’t want a favor. I want to earn that. A devastating finish against Neil Magny will get me a step closer to that.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.
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