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Gilbert Burns is a former training partner of Kamaru Usman and former opponent, so he knows a lot about 'The Nigerian Nightmare.' Even with that much first hand knowledge of how tought 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is, he's still giving Leon Edwards a good chance of beating him.
In a new interview with The MMA Underground, Burns said:
"I think Leon Edwards is very underrated. He's very tough, he's long, he's a southpaw, he's a good striker, he's already a thing ... And then he faced Kamaru back in the day so he knows, he's been there before. I think he's got a great team, a very under-rated team too. Those guys do an amazing job in the UK working for these guys. I just think he does have what it takes to beat Kamaru and I think it's going to be a very close fight. I think he might be able to get it done. I think Kamaru has gotta take that fight super seriously."
Unfortunately, Gilbert Burns believes Usman may be distracted by all the talk of a boxing superfight against Canelo Alvarez. He said:
"The only thing that bothers me is the Kamaru vs. Canelo talking. Lots of different talks, he gotta focus on Leon Edwards. The guy is really tough, he's coming hungry, you know? I'm a little afraid for that fight for Kamaru. Leon might be able to get the title. I hope not, but it's a close fight."
Kamaru Usman is currently recovering from an injured hand so there's no official date set for a welterweight title fight against Leon Edwards.
Watch the full interview from The MMA Underground with Gilbert Burns below:
Gilbert Burns shares his timeline for potential Jorge Masvidal fight
Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal took to Twitter earlier this week and agreed to fight sometime in the future.
In his interview with The MMA Underground, Gilbert Burns laid out his timeline for a return. He said:
"Still got a little injuries that I gotta get better, might take me a little time. And to be honest I need to spend time with the family ... So I'm looking September, October, November, I want to get back in there and I got a target, Masvidal, that's the fight I want. He already said yes, that's the one that I want. But I don't know how that thing with Colby is going to go, he might need a little time too."
Jorge Masvidal is currently being charged with felony battery for an alleged assault of Colby Covington in March. If found guilty, Masvidal could face jail time of up to 15 years. While that amount is unlikely, it's not impossible that 'Gamebred' could spend time behind bars, derailing any hope for a return to the octagon in 2022.
