Gilbert Burns called it a career on Saturday. | Getty/UFC Retirement wasn’t initially part of the plan for Gilbert Burns heading into UFC Winnipeg. However, those plans changed after the former welterweight title challenger suffered a third-round technical knockout loss to Mike Malott in Saturday’s main event at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Burns laid down his gloves in the Octagon at the conclusion of the bout.

It was the 39-year-old Brazilian’s fifth consecutive loss within the Las Vegas-based promotion. “I was crazy confident I was going to get the win,” Burns said on the Paramount+ post-fight show. “I was 1,000 percent confident that I was going to win.

I knew if something goes wrong, I don’t want to do this no more. Not because of anyone. Because I’m not showing my 100 percent.

Maybe the age or whatever but I feel a little stuck. The fire is still there but I’m still a little stuck. I cannot let go.

“If I cannot win, if I cannot show everything that I have, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to get just a paycheck. I try and I gave everything and if I cannot do it, then I cannot do it.

It’s fine. We move on. I’ve still got a lot of challenges that I want to go through.” “Durinho” rose to prominence after moving up from lightweight to welterweight in 2019.

After a four-bout winning streak that included victories over the likes of Demian Maia and Tyron Woodley, Burns suffered a third-round TKO loss to Kamaru Usman in a 170-pound title bout at UFC 258. The Kill Cliff FC product remained a major factor in the division for the next couple years, besting the likes of Stephen Thompson, Neil Magny and Jorge Masvidal while giving Khamzat Chimaev one of the most difficult tests of his promotional tenure. While his career didn’t end on a high note, Burns consistently squared off against some of the top talents in the division even in the twilight of his UFC tenure.

I was able to make a living, make a career,” Burns said. “Make a living off the UFC. Off those MMA fights, off those battles.

I was able to make money, to own my house. I was able to do a lot of things with money like financially, I’m stable. I was able to invest money.

I take care of my beautiful kids and my wife. So I’m very happy. “We always want to become the champion, the No. 1 [fighter].

I tried as hard [as I could]. I tried so much. I gave my life to that. I bleed.

I sweat. I’m content with my career.”The Next Step Looking ahead, Burns plans to stay involved with MMA in more ways than one."I still have a lot of challenges that I have to go through," Burns said. "I want to become an MMA manager, I think.

I think I can do a great job. I know how to make a career. I want to help these guys in jiu-jitsu. I never want to open a gym, but I have a very close friend of mine, Vagner Rocha, who's changing a lot of kids' lives, and that's what I want to do.

It's not teaching kids martial arts, but it's changing those guys' future. I'm going to open up a gym soon in South Florida. I'm going to become an MMA manager. I'm going to take care of my family and my kids, my wife."