He may already have a world title shot lined up but that hasn’t stopped Gilbert Burns from throwing out another challenge.
Burns, who secured a welterweight title shot against champion Kamaru Usman when he defeated Tyron Woodley earlier this year, but with that fight now without a date after Usman was forced to withdraw from the initially scheduled December 12 event, it seems as though the number one 170-pound contender is looking elsewhere to keep himself busy.
So as my title fight is not scheduled yet, Let’s grapple! Let’s see who is the real gangster @NateDiaz209 so I put $200,000 you put $200,000 winner takes all at @ChaelSonnen @UFCFightPass what you say? pic.twitter.com/yaUFxUO6Ep
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) November 13, 2020
Overnight, Burns issued the above callout to Nate Diaz and this comes after Diaz had been highly critical of the scheduled world title fight earlier this summer.
“This is what’s wrong with people claiming they’re fighters settling for less cause they know they’re not worth shit,” Diaz wrote. “You should’ve fought the next guy in line, not the guy who would take less cause he’s told too. That’s why no one will remember you guys. This isn’t a title fight.”
The Usman-Burns fight has now been postponed twice (the first was for Burns’ COVID diagnosis) leading to something of a logjam atop the welterweight rankings. Leon Edwards, the fighter in the midst of an eight-fight win streak in the division, had been particularly vocal about his candidacy for a title shot, but it was announced in recent days that the Englishman will fight Khamzat Chimaev in December. Edwards told ESPN he gets a title shot with a win.
Diaz, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since losing via doctor stoppage to Jorge Masvidal a year ago and it remains to be seen if he will even consider Burns’ proposal of a high stakes grappling match.