Gilbert Burns is holding his head high following a decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273.
The bout was lauded as an instant classic, and Burns clipped his opponent on multiple occasions during a back-and-forth slugfest but was unable to do enough to get the nod in the eyes of the cageside judges. The former welterweight title challenger did give Chimaev the toughest test of his career to date, and their bout earned “Fight of the Night” honors and could be up for “Fight of the Year” down the road.
Burns released a couple statements on his social media, one via video and another that was written, both of which expressed positive sentiments in the face of defeat.
“Thank you everybody for the wishes, everybody for the messages. It was a tough one,” Burns said in a video on his Instagram stories. “I mean, I had fun. It wasn’t the result that I wanted. But unfortunately, life’s like that. A lot of work, a lot of discipline, but it is what it is. … [I’m] out, but not for long. I’ll be back another day.”
In a separate written post on Instagram, the Brazilian vowed to get back into the title picture in the future.
“Had a lot of fun yesterday, unfortunately was not enough to get the win,” Burns wrote. Shoutout to my family, team, sponsors and fans for the support! Love you guys. Another lesson [learned]. I won’t rest until I have the belt.”
Burns is 5-2 since moving up from lightweight to 170 pounds, with notable triumphs over the likes of Stephen Thompson, Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson.
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