Gilbert Burns reveals next probable fight date but rules out fighting one rival who rejected his offer

No.2 ranked welterweight Gilbert Burns will potentially make his return to the UFC octagon in June 2021 after the disappointing loss Kamaru Usman in February. Durinho posted the update on his Twitter account and revealed that two fighters have showed interest in fighting him without disclosing their names. He also claimed in his tweet that the No.1 ranked welterweight Colby Covington refused to take the fight.

"We looking for June! 2 guys said yes! Colby said no! I said yes for both waiting for the UFC now @AliAbdelaziz00 #TheComeBack," Gilbert Burns tweeted.

We looking for June! 2 guys said yes! Colby said no! I said yes for both waiting for the UFC now @AliAbdelaziz00 #TheComeBack

— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) March 18, 2021

34-year-old Gilbert Burns (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) last fought at UFC 258 PPV event in February 2021 against reigning welterweight champion and former teammate Kamaru Usman. With his world championship level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and formidable striking, Burns was perceived as the biggest threat to Usman's title reign so far. However, after making a strong start to the fight, Gilbert Burns lost to the champ via third-round TKO.

And still ‼️#UFC258 (via @ufc)pic.twitter.com/4oYKOY0A5D

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 14, 2021

Gilbert Burns named three fighters he wanted to face in his comeback fight

In the February 19 interview with Brett Okamoto following the Kamaru Usman loss, Gilbert Burns expressed his desire to climb back up to another title shot against the Nigerian nightmare as quickly as possible. Durinho told Okamoto that Colby Covington, Leon Edwards, Stephen Thompson, and Michael Chiesa were the fighters on his radar. However, he preferred the Colby Covington fight over others since Covington is the No.1 ranked fighter in the division.

"For me, I got Wonderboy right there, I got Colby Covington right there. Colby Covington is the number one guy, if you ask me ‘Gilbert, who you want?’ I would say Colby but Wonderboy makes sense, Michael Chiesa makes sense, Leon Edwards makes sense. I want everyone... But I gotta wait for May or June and my number one pick will be Colby Covington but we'll see,” Gilbert Burns said.

Although it is too early to speculate who Gilbert Burns' next opponent will be, it is safe to assume that Burns will get one of the fighters he mentioned in his interview with Brett Okamoto. Except for Colby Covington, every other fighter is ranked below Durinho and does not have an upcoming fight. Given that Burns is a former title challenger and a relatively big name, there is no palpable reason for any of those fighters not to sign the contract.