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Gilbert Burns is hoping to cement his position as a top UFC welterweight contender by securing a finish against Belal Muhammad.
Burns (22-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) will take on Muhammad (22-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 288 on May 6. The fight will be held over five rounds at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Burns has requested five rounds in his previous fights, including with Chimaev, Masvidal, and Magny, but his request had been denied. However, when Muhammad also asked for a five-round bout, Burns took the opportunity to go for a finish.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Burns said, “If I want to solidify myself as the No. 1 contender, I’ve got to take this guy out.” Muhammad is currently unbeaten in his past nine fights and was in strong contention for a title shot until Colby Covington was declared the No.1 contender for champion Leon Edwards.
Burns sees a finish as the best way to make his case for a title shot. “With Belal Muhammad, I’m putting this guy away,” Burns said. “There is no way he’s going 25 minutes with me. So that’s the main reason to go five rounds, just to put this guy out and get a finish.”
Before the fight was confirmed, Muhammad had requested a catchweight bout due to completing a month of fasting for Ramadan. Burns, however, was not sympathetic to the request. “Like, I get it. You’re Muslim, you do your Ramadan, but at the same time, I don’t care. I’m not Muslim,” Burns said. “
He added, “We’re going to a war. Why should I help you and give you anything? I don’t care. If you cannot make weight, don’t say that you are ready.”
For more on the UFC 288 event, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 288.