Gilbert Burns vs Neil Magny could be in the works via the power of the classic Twitter war of words.
Second-ranked UFC welterweight Burns (he is also #2 in our rankings) has had some trouble getting his next fight booked. Following a win where he was able to achieve the rare feat of outpointing Stephen Thompson in an MMA fight, “Durinho” is now in matchmaking limbo.
The 35-year-old has taken to Twitter in recent weeks and called out a whose-who of big-name 170-pound fighters. Including top-six talents in Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards. However, those calls for Octagon throwdowns fell on deaf digital ears. On Thursday, the 20-4 talent took aim at a new target in eighth-ranked Neil Magny. And it seems the Elevation Fight Team product is willing to be Burns’ huckleberry.
Gilbert Burns vs Neil Magny is the fight we didn’t ask for but actually want
Burns’ first salvo in their recent back and forth seemed harmless enough when he wrote: “Starting to get that itch again…but everyone that I call is busy. [Neil Magny]??” This was followed by a couple of wide-eyed emojis. “The Haitian Sensation” retorted by saying, “Spent all that time chasing clout! I’ve been ready!”
Using the type of humor that has made him quite popular in recent years, the Brazilian threatened to rescind his invitation. “I don’t like the way you sound. You might just lost an opportunity. Should be thankful next time,” Burns wrote. To which Magny responded by retweeting an article about the callout and said, “I need dates! not call outs!”
The Twitter barbs ended with the former welterweight title challenger telling the 34-year-old to have his manager contact the UFC to make the fight. Of course, nothing has been booked officially yet, and we don’t even know if UFC matchmakers have caught wind of it and will take it seriously, but it would be a fascinating matchup between two well-rounded top-10 welterweights.
Magny (25-8) was victorious by unanimous decision in his last Octagon outing against Geoff Neal in May. He has one four of his last five and has been one of the most consistent fighters in the division over the last few years.
Burns’ (20-4) UFC 264 win over Thompson was a much-needed bounce-back win after falling short to former teammate, and current champion, Kamaru Usman in his first attempt at UFC gold. Before the loss to “The Nigerian Nightmare”, he won six straight inside the Octagon.
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