Conor McGregor has long teased a move up to the UFC’s 170-pound division to take on Kamaru Usman, but perennial welterweight contender Gilbert Burns isn’t so sure. Burns told MMAFighting that the heavy hands and wrestling pedigree of the UFC’s welterweight elite would “destroy” Conor McGregor before the Irish superstar even got close to the champ.
“He’s not a welterweight but if he wants to fight at welterweight, I’d love to beat the s*** out of Conor. I think he’s not going to take that punch. I’m not even talking about grappling cause that’s not fair. [I’d] just take him down and maul him but a fight with Conor, it’s a win-win for me. I’m going to beat him up and I’m going to get a ton of crazy money.
Gilbert Burns: UFC welterweights would “destroy” McGregor
I’m not even calling for that fight cause it’s not fair. I think he’s a 55-pounder, [if] he’s at 170, he can’t take those punches. He cannot handle that wrestling.” Burns continued, pointing out just how dangerous the welterweight rankings are for a fighter like McGregor.
“If you’re talking about the top five in the world, everybody hits hard except Colby [Covington] but everybody can wrestle.
Colby can wrestle. Colby and Conor is not fun cause Colby would just outwrestle him. Kamaru [Usman], he can hit hard and he can wrestle. Khamzat [Chimaev], he can hit hard and he can wrestle. Leon Edwards, he can hit very hard, good striking and can wrestle. I hit hard and can wrestle so don’t say you’re a welterweight.
You can’t handle the top five guys in that division. You can fight a couple of guys at 170 but he’s not a welterweight. If he really thinks [he is], try some top five [fighters] in that division. I think it’s not fair. We’d just destroy Conor.”
In fact, Burns predicts that despite Conor McGregor’s considerable weight gain in the past year, he’s more likely to stay at lightweight taking big-money fights than to consider a move up to 170 pounds. A potential superfight with Jorge Masvidal has long been teased, but Gilbert Burns sees Michael Chandler as a far more likely opponent for “The Notorious”.
“I don’t think he’s going [to fight] Masvidal. I think he’s going to fight Michael Chandler. That’s the way I see it. That’s why I think I’m fighting Masvidal September, October and then I do believe whenever Conor is coming back, he’s coming back at 155 [pounds]. I don’t know why but I think he’s fighting Michael Chandler.”
Is Gilbert Burns right about McGregor’s prospects at 170 pounds? Let us know what you think in the comments.
