Gilbert Burns had doubts that he will not receive the title shot. Durinho is now set to face UFC Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman at UFC 258.
After witnessing his title fight getting scrapped on two occasions, Gilbert Burns was skeptical about receiving the title shot. While the match with Kamaru Usman for the Welterweight gold is now official and is etched on the card of UFC 258 but, in the run-up, Burns apparently wasn’t sure that it will happen and felt that the title spot will fall on to Khamzat Chimaev.
In an interview with AG Fight, Gilbert Burns explained that he was feeling anxious about the time UFC was taking to make the fight official and, up until his name got finalized he was impatient.
“Thank God we closed the deal. They had already sent me the date, the problem was the contract that was taking too long, but it’s all official now. The ‘Countdown’ crew has been to my house already, so it’s definitely going to happen. I’ve been training hard, but I was afraid the fight would go to Khamzat Chimaev or something. I think it took that long because of the UFC. I don’t know if they were dealing with Jorge Masvidal or Colby Covington, too. But now is the time to train hard and win that title.”
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‘I think my jiu-jitsu will make the difference’
With all the issues outside of the fight settled, Durinho is focused on only one thing now i.e., his title fight with Usman. Burns believes he knows his opponent inside out, as they both were training partners at one point.
“I know many of his strong suits and weaknesses, as he knows mine. So I’ve been trying to close those gaps. I’ve been training a lot of wrestling and clinching, which are the things he is good at. Now the focus is on me. I’ve been working hard on my jiu-jitsu, all kinds of submissions, head, feet, arms, neck, I’ve been trying to get the finish from every possible angle. I think my jiu-jitsu will make the difference.”
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