Conor McGregor will return to action by embarking on his second stint as coach on the upcoming edition of The Ultimate Fighter. He will face off against opposing coach Michael Chandler in the finale of the event, marking his first fight in two years.
Chandler's longtime friend and teammate Gilbert Burns spoke about the upcoming fight and voiced his support for him in an interview with Submission Radio.
The Brazilian welterweight repeatedly stated that he wants to see Chandler finish McGregor off and even hopes that it will be with an emphatic knockout:
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“I think it’s a tough fight for Michael [Chandler]. I don’t think it’s an easy fight but I hope Michael knock him out very bad. I never hope that to no one, you know, but I hope Michael gets a good win, you know. I don’t want to wish nothing bad for Conor, it is what it is. The guy is two-times champion, helped to change the sport, didn’t make the right choice sometimes but it is what it is. But I just hope Michael wins and I’m going to do everything in my power to help Michael to get the victory and I hope Michael gets the finish, you know.”
Gilbert Burns lashes out at Conor McGregor for removing his teammate from TUF lineup
Gilbert Burns' strong feelings against Conor McGregor may have stemmed from his annoyance at the treatment of his teammate Loik Radzhabov.
Radzhabov was set to be a part of season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter before apparently being removed in favor of McGregor's teammates. Burns narrated the story in his interview and likened Radzhabov to Justin Gaethje in terms of his fighting style:
“And the day that they start filming, Conor McGregor got in, brought two or three of his own guys. I don’t know exactly what happened but he just put his guys in, took couple guys out. And Loik was one of the guys that went out. And I don’t know everyone in there but I know Loik is a two-time PFL finalist. The guy fights like - he’s not that famous - but he fights like Justin Gaethje. The guy is a highlight reel, he’s crazy. The guy just comes forward, throws bombs. Just like Justin Gaethje. Crazy striking and he has a background in wrestling but he doesn’t use it so he just like Justin Gaethje."
Radzhabov was abruptly removed from the show and has since returned to base. Gilbert Burns also took to Twitter to show his support for his teammate and criticize Conor McGregor.
Check out Gilbert Burns' comments on YouTube: