Gilbert Burns recently made a triumphant return to the Octagon, defeating Neil Magny at UFC 283. In a recent interview, he revealed that his wife played a major role in his victory.
Prior to his bout against Magny, Burns’ wife encouraged him to focus on takedowns and submissions, rather than relying solely on striking. She advised him to take Magny down and submit him, rather than engaging in a stand-up battle.
” I want to take Neil Magny down but not instantly, not right away, not like Demian Maia-style, not like Khamzat-style, I wanted to feel that guy a little bit… Then, before the fight, she came in, ‘Hey, I don’t want you to go crazy and bang with this guy, take him out, take him down, and submit, it’s going to be easy.” – Burns told BIsping’s podcast.
Burns followed his wife’s advice and used his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills to take Magny down in the first round. He then secured a tight arm-triangle to submit his opponent and claim victory.
Following his impressive win, Burns also revealed that he recently had a meeting with UFC President Dana White and UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell to discuss his future options. He expressed his desire to coach on TUF and compete against Covington, but is open to other possibilities as well.
Burns told TMZ :
“If I could pick, because I couldn’t pick for a while, I want Colby. That’s a go-to title shot. If I beat Colby, especially right now. I would love to make a coach [on TUF] and compete against Colby.”
He stated: “I talked to Dana and Hunter right after the fight. They said they would have a meeting [Monday] or Tuesday and they will let me know. I already put a lot of options. That’s my number one pick.”