After Lunch Meeting with Dana White, Gilbert Burns Targets Chimaev Rematch

Even though he fell two spots in the UFC welterweight rankings after a unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273, Gilbert Burns doesn’t regret the decision to take the fight.

"That was my 18th fight in eight years in the UFC. I fought some of the toughest guys in two divisions, fought for the belt once and have never been invited to lunch with Dana White like I was right after the war against Chimaev," Burns told Sherdog.com.

According to Burns, big fights and also the possibility of signing a more lucrative new contract were also on the menu during lunch with the UFC president. While Burns says White didn’t give him a list of potential matchups, he already has his own preferences in mind.

"We didnt talk about specific opponents, but I would consider big fights [against] Colby [Covington], [Jorge] Masvidal, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier and the rematch with Chimaev,” he said. "If I could choose, the immediate rematch with Chimaev would be my first option. But this time I would make just one request: that the fight be five rounds. That's my biggest regret in that fight. I agreed to fight an opponent nine positions under me to help the UFC. I have Dana´s phone number. I should have called him and insisted that five rounds would be my only condition.

“I felt his mind break a couple of times during the fight. I believe if I had two more rounds, the fight could have gone differently. The feeling that I have is that my business with Chimaev is not finished. We still have some extra rounds to fight.”

In such a competitive weight class, Burns understands that his wishes may not fit in with the UFC’s plans, especially after Belal Muhammad’s victory over Vicente Luque in the UFC on ESPN 34 headliner earlier this month.

"I´ve been working hard for the company. I think I deserve a big fight next, but I´m a UFC employee,” he said. “If they want to put me against Belal, I will accept this Plan B. Vicente is like my younger brother. I was sure he was going to win that fight. I don’t want to take anything from Belal, no doubt he had a great strategy, but I truly believe he was on his best night and Luque was on his worst. In that case, of course I would love to beat him up and avenge my brother.”