Chael Sonnen confirms Colby Covington’s next opponent will likely be Gilbert Burns: “He will fight again”
Chael Sonnen has revealed Colby Covington will likely face Gilbert Burns in his UFC return.

The ever-controversial ‘Chaos’ is fresh off his return to the cage at UFC Tampa in December. Colby Covington famously went on hiatus following his loss to Leon Edwards in late 2023, but he stepped up on short notice to face Joaquin Buckley. ‘New Mansa’ entered his first UFC headliner red-hot, last scoring a knockout win over Stephen Thompson in October.
Sadly for the former interim UFC welterweight champion, he was dominated in his short-notice return. Buckley tagged Colby Covington early and often. He cut the 36-year-old wrestler badly above his eye, which led to a stoppage in the third round. While Covington blamed a “DEI Doctor” and headbutt for the loss, it was his third defeat in his last four contests.
However, while the wrestler has largely been inactive in the second half of his career, he quickly revealed plans for a turnaround. Just weeks following his loss to Buckley, Colby Covington called for a fight with former UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns. The callout came immediately after ‘Durinho’ leaked Chael Sonnen’s phone number on social media after recent comments made by ‘The Bad Guy’.
Chael Sonnen talks Colby Covington:
Will he likely fight again? Yeah. Will he likely fight again against Gilbert Burns? Also a yes.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/6JwR9Vd1V2— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) February 4, 2025
Chael Sonnen reveals Colby Covington will likely face Gilbert Burns in UFC return
However, there have been no discussions about Colby Covington vs. Gilbert Burns since that callout in January. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show earlier today, Chael Sonnen was asked about what’s next for ‘Chaos’. There, Covington’s head coach confirmed that he will return to the cage later this year, and ‘Durinho’ is still the current target.
“He doesn’t need to fight again.” Chael Sonnen stated earlier today, when asked about Colby Covington’s UFC return. “But will he likely fight again? Yes. Will he likely fight again against Gilbert Burns? That’s also a yes.”
For his part, Gilbert Burns is also struggling at the moment. The Brazilian is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, last suffering a unanimous decision loss to Sean Brady last September. Despite the losing streak, Burns now has the chance to get back on the right track against a fellow contender in the form of Colby Covington.
What do you make of these comments from UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen? Do you want to see Colby Covington vs. Gilbert Burns next?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
Chael Sonnen Colby Covington Gilbert Burns UFC