Gilbert Burns explains how UFC loss to Khamzat Chimaev negatively impacted career

Gilbert Burns surprised a lot of people in his 2022 UFC loss to Khamzat Chimaev. Ahead of the fight, many people expected him to struggle with the undefeated Russian contender, but in the end, he pushed his opponent to the limit in a Fight of the Night-winning war.

In a recent interview with Home of Fight, Burns reflected on his razor-close loss to Chimaev. He explained that, initially, his valiant performance actually benefitted him in a lot of ways, as his notoriety and finances improved.

However, the new fame and money ultimately caused Burns to lose focus.

“I got a lot of fans, a lot of recognition, which is not a bad thing,” Burns said of the loss. “It was good. A lot of opportunities, a couple of sponsors, the fans recognized me everywhere. It built up my platform to a different level.

“Then you kind of get caught up in it a little bit. Making money, traveling, getting recognition. That took me slowly away from my path, from that ‘Durinho’ that trains hard, that wants to become a champion. It was not a bad thing to have that financial growth, but it kind of took me a little bit out of my path.

“Slowly, after those couple losses, it was actually very good for me to reflect on that, see what changed, and start correcting that a little bit.”

Gilbert Burns returns against Michael Morales at UFC Apex this Saturday

Since losing to Chimaev, Burns has gone 2-3. He has lost his last three fights to Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena and Sean Brady. Those losses have aged well, considering all three opponents are among the top welterweights in the world. However, Burns definitely has his back against the wall.

He will attempt to get back on track in the main event of this Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex. He’ll be taking on undefeated contender Michael Morales.