"See you in hell" - Shane Burgos looking forward to barnburner against Charles Jourdain in last fight of UFC contract, discusses mental and physical toll of COVID-19

Ahead of his upcoming fight against Charles Jourdain at UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez on July 16, James Lynch from Sportskeeda MMA caught up with Shane Burgos. In the interview, Lynch spoke at length with the featherweight fighter about his training regimen despite suffering COVID-19 earlier this year. They also spoke about the contenders in the division and much more.

'Hurricane' Shane Burgos is a featherweight fighter in the UFC with an impressive record of 14 wins out of 17 fights. He stands at No.14 in the featherweight rankings and has received the 'Fight of the Night' bonus four times.

Check out the entire interview or read the best parts from the transcript below.

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Transcript

Introduction: It’s always good having “Hurricane Shane” back here on the program. He’s going to be fighting Charles Jourdain [at] UFC Fight Night, July 16 in Long Island.

Q: Let’s talk about Charles Jourdain. Awesome, awesome fight. When they told you, [that] you’d be fighting him, what was your initial reaction? Because I think people tabbed this as an early Fight of the Night.

A: Yeah it’s one of those, I say it in almost every interview “you know Shelby [Sean Shelby, Senior VP of Talent Relations at UFC] keeps giving me these fights that…”

Everyone knows what to expect in a Shane Burgos fight and this is another one of those fights.

Where he hasn’t even gone for a takedown in his UFC career, so on paper this is going to be a.

Not even on paper, f**k that, it’s going to be an absolutely amazing fight, it’s an impossible fight for it to be born.

From the first bell to the last bell, it’s going to be action packed, I want to say, from the call I knew it’s his name.

I thought “oh, great match-up”, great match-up for the fans, but I think stylistically it’ll be a great match-up for me too.

Q: Yeah, and you know, I know you have similar records, but you’ve been more of a mainstay in the UFC for longer than he has. You’ve also fought some tough names, you mentioned Calvin Kattar there, how much will that sort of play into the fight? In terms of maybe the level of opposition you faced, compared to him?

A: Yeah for sure, I think it’s clear cut, It’s not a matter of opinion, I have fought the bigger names in the division.

And, I’ve got three losses but all three of those losses were close losses, I feel like i could’ve won those fights.

I got caught in two of them, and that Emmett fight was razor close, so my confidence is sky high going into this one.

Having that in my back pocket makes me confident, but like I said, I get a lot of confidence from my sparring partners.

And Julio [Julio Arce] is a motherf****r man. He really is a motherf****r, and I feel like this is the ultimate.

He’s the ultimate sparring partner for this specific style of fight too, and I’ve got a bunch of other lefties.

That people don’t really know about, like pro boxers, that are really giving me good looks for this one.

Q: That’s great, you told me actually when we were doing something for Bodog [online poker company]. We have that in common, we did some stuff for them, I know you mentioned [that] you had Covid. And it took you a bit to recover from that, how are you feeling now?

Because, obviously I know you went to train with Josh [Josh Emmett], so I assume everything’s all good. But any long-term effects from there?

A: No, I mean the first time we talked about it, yeah it was one of those things where I was just getting over that hump.

But it took me f*****g forever to get over it, the entire month of January was washed, most of March was a wash as well.

I was training in January, I skipped February, January, February, March but in January I basically couldn’t do anything.

It was super light workouts, that’s where I’m [I was] getting gassed, February was like “all right I can do a little bit more”.

Instead of doing two hours of training, I was doing an hour, March was like an hour and 15 minutes.

And [In] Apri I was like “oh I’m feeling better, I was able to do both, and then Emmett called me up.

And I was like “I’m still recovering, from Covid, but he’s like “no it’s all good now, we’re just trying to get you for the looks”.

And I was like “you know what, f**k it, I’ll try” and then the first thing we get there, I mean the first full day of training.

We get there [and] he’s like “we’re going to do five, five minute rounds sparring” and I was like “all right f**k it”.

You know like “let’s see how this s**t goes”, and we did the five-fives and I was like “you know what?”.

“F**k that, I’m good, I’m fully back, I’m not even just back, like me coming off a f*****g, off a plane doing five, five minute rounds of sparring.

I was like, I’m good to go, I’m good for a fight this summer.

Q: How mentally taxing was that period in January?

Just because you know, if you have an injury, a doctor can give you a timeline as to when the injury is going to heal.

With rehab surgery, whatever, I mean, you’ve had injuries before, but with Covid like it varies from person to person.

So was there a part of you like “damn I hope this doesn’t keep me out too long”? What was going through your head at that point?

A: It was so f*****g mental, because the weirdest part [was] I wasn’t that sick, I mean the entire month of December.

I had the flu [In] the first week of december, then two weeks later I got a stomach virus [and] then [In] the third week I got Covid.

All within the same month, but when I had Covid, I wasn’t that sick, so I was like “all right, I’ll go back to training”.

I only had it [for] four days, I get [got] back to the mat and I’m like “whoa what the” like just drilling, doing jumping rope and shadow boxing.

And I was like wearing my Polar Heart Rate Monitor for every workout and I’m like “this is like wild, how tired I am right now”.

And then it was, the progression was half a percent a week, it felt like, it was so stagnant that I was like “when the f**k am I going to get better?”

I started doing vitamen D, I’m doing all the s**t I can to try, Zinc, all that s**t [to] try to get better.

And it was so slow that I was like immensely, It’s like “where’s the end?” and “I can’t see it insight.”

Because I didn’t feel the progression, it was so minute that it was mentally taxing on me.

Q: Okay, and you’ve got a couple of more fights in your contract? I was trying to remember that.

Because I feel like you signed one recently, did you not?

A: Nope, this is the last one.

Q: How do you see this fight playing out on July 16th? I know you feel like you’re going to get your hand raised.

Otherwise, why sign the contract? But how do you envision it going down between you and Jourdain?

A: Oh I’m going to comment that on a post that says, "See you in hell" for one of the posts, and I am very comfortable in uncomfortable positions.

And I put myself in those positions [through] a lot of training, so, see you in hell man, I’m ready m**********r, I’m ready to go.

I’m going to pressure him from the first bell to the last bell, and I’m going to make it as uncomfortable as I possibly can for him.

And for myself, because I know if I’m uncomfortable, if I know that I’m f*****g exhausted, then I know, I can’t Imagine how he’s feeling.

So that’s what my plan is to do, I’m going to go out there and I’m going to pressure him from the first bell to the last bell.

And then he’ll break before the last bell.

Q: Love it, and we talked about Josh Emmett, off the top do you think he did enough on Saturday to get that title shot? In your opinion.

A: I mean, if not him, then who right? Then who’s declared number one besides him, I feel like it makes sense.

It’s fresh blood in the division and It’s going to be an exciting fight every time Josh fights, It’s a good fight.

So I think it makes sense to put him in against the winner of Holloway and Volkanovski.

Q: So, I agree with you, but just playing [the] devil’s advocate, [I’m just] curious about these two other scenarios that could take place.

Some people have said if Yair Rodriguez beats Brian Ortega, that might get a title shot.

Despite the fact that he’s coming off a loss to Max [Holloway] and then the other name is Arnold Allen.

Who is undefeated, however he’s only got one I think sort of notable win in Dan Hooker.

What do you think of those two other options?

A: Those are good options, I think maybe [the UFC can] make those two guys fight each other.

The winner of that one can get [the] title shot, because Yair wins like I said, if Holloway wins and Yair wins?

It wouldn’t make sense for them to do that one, so it kind of all depends on who wins, if Volkanovski wins.

Maybe they can do Yair vs. Volkanovski, maybe they could do that but I think that Emmett’s a clear cut winner.

He’s had the biggest win streak in the division aside from Arnold Allen because it’s, am I wrong?

Does he have the biggest win streak aside from Arnold Allen? [JL: I think yeah, it’s got to be up there because I know Allen’s undefeated I know that for sure].

Yeah, I know he’s seven or eight and 0, and yeah so I’ve got to go with him man [Josh Emmett].

I’m not even trying to be biased, it just makes more sense.

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Timestamps:

Q: Yeah absolutely, yeah we had to do it, so much going on in your division, and we’re going to start there first.

Josh Emmett, who you had a chance to, I know, train with and help him get ready for Calvin Kattar.

Just how impressed were you with his performance in the main event of UFC Austin last Saturday? (0:12)

Q: What rounds did you give Josh, because I think that was the thing people were wondering.

I think that second round, some people gave it to Kattar, how did you score the fight if you remember it? (0:51)

Q: What was it like being [a] part of his camp? Because I know he reached out to and your brother.

And you both came out and got to train with him, what was that like? (1:24)

Q: Did you expect the fight to play out that way? Did you expect it to be that close with Josh edging out a decision?

Or how in your head did you see the fight playing out ahead of time? (1:53)

Q: Let’s talk about Charles Jourdain, awesome, aweomse fight.

When they told you, [that] you’d be fighting him, what was your initial reaction?

Because I think people tabbed this as an early Fight of the Night. (2:33)

Q: How are you looking at this fight stylistically? (3:12)

Q: Yeah, and you know, I know you have similar records, but you’ve been more of a mainstay in the UFC for longer than he has.

You’ve also fought some tough names, you mentioned Calvin Kattar there, how much will that sort of play into the fight?

In terms of maybe the level of opposition you faced, compared to him? (4:00)

Q: And [the] usual cast of guys I’m assuming as far as training [goes], you mentioned Arce [Julio].

You mentioned some other names there, any new guys coming in to help you train for this fight?

Or is it just the usual regular guys you work with? (4:57)

Q: That’s great, you told me actually when we were doing something for Bodog [online poker company].

We have that in common, we did some stuff for them, I know you mentioned [that] you had Covid.

And it took you a bit to recover from that, how are you feeling now?

Because, obviously I know you went to train with Josh [Josh Emmett], so I assume everything’s all good.

But any long-term effects from there? (5:23)

Q: How mentally taxing was that period in January?

Just because you know, if you have an injury, a doctor can give you a timeline as to when the injury is going to heal.

With rehab surgery, whatever, I mean, you’ve had injuries before but with Covid like it varies from person to person.

So was there a part of you like “damn I hope this doesn’t keep me out too long”? What was going through your head at that point? (6:38)

Q: Yeah well, we’re glad to see everything’s better there, I’ve heard some really bad cases, I’m a hockey fan.

Brandon Sutter plays for the Canucks [Vancouver Canucks], [he] didn’t even play last season.

Because his cardio wasn’t upto par, [he] couldn’t perform, which is nuts, so it just goes to show how different it is right? (7:48)

Q: What about the weight cut? How’s all that going? I know you’ve got the prep meals and all that, how’s everything going? (8:11)

Q: Got a lot of people coming down for the fight? (8:31)

Q: How do you see this fight playing out on July 16th? I know you feel like you’re going to get your hand raised.

Otherwise, why sign the contract? But how do you envision it going down between you and Jourdain? (8:40)

Q: I Imagine the plan after this is to get one [or] maybe two more fights in this year just because of the time off?

Is that what you’re thinking? (9:20)

Q: Okay, and you’ve got a couple of more fights in your contract? I was trying to remember that.

Because I feel like you signed one recently, did you not? (9:30)

Q: Wow, okay so [the] stakes are pretty high for this one right? You know, because again you win here, you get a lot of leverage. (9:38)

Q: Okay, I like it, but you’ve got to feel good, like you mentioned off the top there, where the UFC’s giving you these fun match-ups.

These exciting styles, like they’re not giving you a fight that’s going to be boring for the fans. I know you’ve got to go out there and win and perform and stuff, but you’ve got to feel a little bit good there?

That’s at least a sign that they like you. Do you look at it that way at all? (9:54)

Q: Love it, and we talked about Josh Emmett, off the top do you think he did enough on Saturday to get that title shot? In your opinion. (10:25)

Q: So, I agree with you, but just playing [the] devil’s advocate, [I’m just] curious about these two other scenarios that could take place.

Some people have said [that] if Yair Rodriguez beats Brian Ortega, that might get a title shot.

Despite the fact that he’s coming off a loss to Max [Holloway] and then the other name is Arnold Allen.

Who is undefeated, however he’s only got one I think sort of notable win in Dan Hooker.

What do you think of those two other options? (10:45)

Q: Shane, I know you’re cooking there In the car, the weather’s pretty hot right now, thanks for slugging through this Interview.

Glad you had some water, veteran move there, If there’s anyone you want to thank, sponsors, social media you name It.

I’ll give you the last word. (11:41)