5 potential opponents for Gilbert Burns after his setback at UFC 273

This weekend saw former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns fall to super-prospect Khamzat Chimaev in what was probably the best fight of 2022 thus far.

Burns may have lost, but after pushing Chimaev all the way, his stock remains high – so who should ‘Durinho’ face off with next?

Thankfully, the UFC’s welterweight division has no shortage of potential opponents for the Brazilian to face, whether they’re proven veterans or rising contenders.

With that in mind, here are five potential opponents for 'Durinho' after his setback at UFC 273.

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#5. Gilbert Burns vs. Sean Brady

Could Sean Brady step up to face 'Durinho' in the biggest challenge of his career?

After his loss to Khamzat Chimaev, there’s probably an argument to suggest that now that he’s out of title contention, Gilbert Burns ought to be used as a high-end gatekeeper by the UFC going forward.

If that’s the case, then a good opponent for him might be Sean Brady, who is currently ranked as the No.8-ranked welterweight in the promotion following his win over Michael Chiesa last November.

Currently 5-0 in the octagon and 15-0 in his MMA career overall, Brady is a high-level grappler fighting out of Philadelphia, and at the age of 29, he’s probably just about entering his prime.

He’s also looking for a bigger test after he outgrappled Chiesa, something that few fighters have been able to do to ‘Maverick’ since his move to welterweight.

Burns, of course, would be a far bigger test. Not only is ‘Durinho’ a world-class grappler, but he showed in his fight with Chimaev that it’s very tricky to hold him down on the ground.

Would Brady stand any chance of winning this bout? On paper, Burns would be a very difficult match for him, but then the prospect has always been able to step up to the plate previously, meaning it’d be impossible to count him out here.

Overall, this fight could make for an excellent Fight Night headliner later in 2022, and could be worth pursuing.

#4. Gilbert Burns vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov

Shavkat Rakhmonov could provide Gilbert Burns with a major test on the feet

If you stick with the theme of matching Gilbert Burns with a hot prospect, it’s hard to imagine a better fight for ‘Durinho’ right now than red-hot striker Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Currently ranked at No.15 in the division, the Kazakhstan native has been on a fantastic run ever since arriving in the UFC back in late 2020.

He’s already gone 3-0 in the octagon, taking out all three of his opponents in nasty fashion, and in fact, he’s never gone the distance in any of his 15 professional bouts.

Essentially, it’s definitely time for ‘The Nomad’ to take a step up in competition, but would a fight with ‘Durinho’ be a step too far for him? That’s definitely a possibility.

After all, Rakhmonov has never fought anyone close to the Brazilian’s level before, and despite holding seven wins via submission, including two in the octagon, it’s unlikely that he’d want to mix it up with Burns on the ground.

However, it’d be wild to see the Kazakh attempt to keep a clash with Burns on the feet, where he’d likely look to knock him out with one of his flashy shots.

Of course, based on what we saw him to do Khamzat Chimaev, ‘Durinho’ is more than capable of holding his own on the feet – meaning a clash like this could produce some fireworks.

Overall there are bigger-name potential opponents out there for Burns, but Rakhmonov could definitely produce a classic against him – making this possibly worth booking.

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#3. Gilbert Burns vs. Nate Diaz

Could Nate Diaz end his UFC career with a fight against Gilbert Burns?

Given that he basically avoided a fight with Khamzat Chimaev and has recently been asking for his release from the UFC altogether, the idea of bringing Nate Diaz back for a fight with Gilbert Burns might not make much sense on the face of things.

After all, the native of Stockton has tended to demand to face only the biggest names in the promotion since his two bouts with Conor McGregor in 2016, and in that sense, he may see a clash with Burns as a waste of his time.

That’s because ‘Durinho’ is an incredibly dangerous fighter who doesn’t possess the same kind of name value as someone like Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier, and thus a fight with him wouldn’t earn Diaz the same kind of payday he’s been used to recently.

However, with just one fight remaining on his current deal, if Diaz does want to leave the UFC, then he’d probably be best to simply accept a fight with whoever he’s offered, and depart regardless of the result – or risk being put on ice by the promotion for a lengthier time.

More to the point, at his best, Diaz may actually stand a chance of beating Burns. He’d hold a reach advantage over the Brazilian, is arguably a slicker boxer, and could almost definitely survive on the ground against him.

Despite his loss to Khamzat Chimaev, Burns’ stock has probably never been higher in terms of the spotlight on him.

So perhaps this bout is more possible than it might seem at first – and if nothing else, it would offer ‘Durinho’ a chance of claiming a huge scalp.

#2. Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal could look to use a fight with Gilbert Burns as a bounceback following his loss to Colby Covington

Given the attention his fight with Khamzat Chimaev has received, it’s probably safe to say Gilbert Burns is probably as big a star for the UFC now as he’s ever been.

With that in mind, why not match him with another fighter coming off a loss in the form of Jorge Masvidal?

Sure, Burns isn’t likely to provide him with the same kind of verbal feud as Colby Covington did, but given that ‘Gamebred’ now finds himself in hot water following that bitter feud, a more “normal” kind of fight might be just what he needs right now.

After renegotiating a new, highly paid contract with the UFC, it’s likely that Masvidal will want to step back into the octagon as quickly as possible.

While other fights might draw more attention, if he wants to get back into any kind of title contention, then beating Burns would definitely help.

More to the point, the fight might give ‘Gamebred’ the chance to prove that he’s closed the holes in his game that led directly to his losses to Covington and to Kamaru Usman.

It would be a huge risk for Masvidal, as if he were to suffer a loss, then his career at the top of the welterweight division would almost certainly be over.

If he could pull off a win, however, it would catapult him right back into the mix.

For Burns, meanwhile, Masvidal would potentially be the biggest scalp of his career, both in terms of his ranking and in terms of his name value.

It would be a risky fight for both men, but it may well be one worth booking from a UFC point of view.

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#1. Gilbert Burns vs. Vicente Luque or Belal Muhammad

Could Gilbert Burns face the winner of the upcoming Belal Muhammad vs. Vicente Luque fight?

Given that Gilbert Burns was ranked as #2 in the welterweight division prior to his loss to Khamzat Chimaev – and is only likely to drop a couple of spots at worst this week – then the fight that might make the most sense for him would be against the winner of this weekend’s clash between Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad.

Given Luque holds wins over Michael Chiesa and Tyron Woodley, and Muhammad has beaten Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson, then the winner should certainly be considered a genuine title contender.

The big problem for them is that right now, there’s no real path for them to a title shot given the presence of Chimaev and Leon Edwards, who looks set to take the next crack at champ Kamaru Usman.

With that in mind, then surely the next best fight for the winner would be Burns – and likewise, ‘Durinho’ could do much worse than fight and attempt to beat either of the two, proving that he still belongs in contention for the title in his own right.

Sure, a bout between Burns and either Luque or Muhammad may not draw as well as a fight between Burns and Diaz or Masvidal.

But if ‘Durinho’ wants a path back to the title, then he’d be better to knock off a genuine contender – and the winner of this weekend’s bout ought to be considered as genuine as it gets.