The UFC was in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Saturday for UFC Winnipeg. In the main event, welterweight contenders threw down as Mike Malott took on Gilbert Burns.
Malott was headlining his first UFC event and was coming off a win over Kevin Holland. Burns, meanwhile, had lost four straight fights. Ultimately, it was Malott who won by third-round TKO over Burns to get the biggest win of his career. Following UFC Winnipeg, here is what I think should be next for the welterweight contenders.
Mike Malott
Mike Malott entered UFC Winnipeg looking to cement himself as a legit title contender at welterweight. The Canadian was riding a three-fight winning streak, but Burns was going to be the toughest test of his career. Yet, Malott had plenty of success with his striking and, in the third round, badly hurt the Brazilian en route to a TKO win.
With the win, Malott could see himself in the top-10 of the welterweight rankings. The Canadian is someone the UFC could build up as he has an entire country behind him, so he should be in line for a big fight next time out. With that, a logical next bout is to face Leon Edwards. It’s a big step-up in competition against a former champ, and if Malott can win, he would prove he’s a legit title contender.
Gilbert Burns
Gilbert Burns suffered his fifth-straight loss on Saturday at UFC Winnipeg as he suffered a TKO loss to Mike Malott. Following the defeat, Burns announced his retirement from MMA.
With Burns retiring, there is no need to matchmake his next fight. Instead, this will reflect on his solid UFC career. Burns was once a fringe lightweight contender, but at welterweight, he truly became a big name and a contender. He moved up to welterweight in 2019 on short notice and rallied off four-straight wins, including beating Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia, and Gunnar Nelson. The winning streak got him a title shot, and he hurt Kamaru Usman before being knocked out.
Ultimately, Burns ended his MMA career with a record of 22-10 and was a fan-favorite who always stepped up to fight anybody.