Gilbert Burns didn’t think he’d end Saturday night by announcing his retirement at UFC Winnipeg.
Burns shared the Octagon with Mike Malott inside Canada Life Centre in hopes of securing his first win since 2023. It didn’t work out that way for “Durinho,” who was stopped in the third round via TKO. After the fight, Burns took off his gloves and announced that he is done with MMA competition.
Speaking to Heidi Androl during the UFC on Paramount+ post-fight show, Burns admitted that he had no plans to walk away from the sport going into the Winnipeg event (via MMAJunkie).
“No, I was crazy confident that I was going to get the win,” Burns said. “I was 1,000 percent confident that I was going to win. I knew if something went wrong, I didn’t want to do this anymore, not because of anyone, but because I’m not showing my 100 percent. Maybe it’s the age or whatever, but I don’t feel (good). I feel a little stuck. I feel a little stuck. I cannot let go, and I’m like, ‘You know what? If I can’t win, if I can’t show everything I’ve got, I don’t want to do this just for a paycheck.’ I tried to leave everything, and if I cannot do it, it’s fine; we move on.”
After defeating Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision at UFC 287, Burns had a quick turnaround against Belal Muhammad the following month. He dropped a decision to “Remember The Name” before returning in March 2024. Burns was knocked out by Jack Della Maddalena in a fight many argue he was winning before the finish.
Things snowballed from there, as Burns fell short against Sean Brady before being finished by Michael Morales and Malott. Burns retires with a pro MMA record of 22-10.
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