UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is willing to lend teammate Michael Chandler a helping hand for his coaching battle against Conor McGregor.
Having not appeared inside the Octagon since UFC 264 in July 2021, the return of MMA’s biggest star has been confirmed. After recovering from the broken leg he suffered against Dustin Poirier, former champ-champ McGregor will make his comeback this year.
While it’ll see him share the Octagon with Chandler, who has long staked his claim for the position opposite the Irishman upon his return, beforehand, the pair will go head-to-head as coaches on the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter.
While the pair will spearhead the opposing sides, they’ll have a number of individuals forming a coaching team that they’ll hope can guide their fighters to victory throughout the reality show.
For Chandler, he certainly won’t be short on options from his pool of peers and coaches at Kill Cliff FC in Florida. And now, one of the gym’s most prominent names has put his hand up for a potential role.
Burns Willing To Aid Chandler’s Battle Against McGregor
During a recent interview with Sherdog, one-time UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns gave his assessment of the planned matchup between Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor.
After noting his excitement for the fight itself, which is expected to take place sometime in September following the culminating of TUF, “Durinho” expressed interest in getting involved with Team Chandler.
“I think that fight’s gonna be spectacular. It’s gonna be crazy,” Gilbert Burns said. “Michael’s my friend. I want the best for him… I don’t know, I’ll talk to Michael. I might be one of the coaches, depends on the fight and when they film. But yeah, I will come by and I think it will be a huge fight.”
Aside from a potential spot in Chandler’s support team, Burns will have significant focus on his own next outing inside the Octagon. After breezing through Neil Magny last month, the Brazilian will look to stake his claim for a title shot on April 8, when he meets welterweight star Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287 in Miami.
With the TUF season set to air from May, filming will likely commence in the coming weeks. With that, Burns’ schedule perhaps won’t line up too well for him to don a coaching hat in support of his Kill Cliff FC teammate.
But should it come to fruition, it won’t be Burns’ first time appearing on TUF. “Durinho” previously served as a coach on Team Vitor for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil in 2012. Burns made his professional MMA debut in the same year but had already collected multiple titles in jiu-jitsu.