Jorge Masvidal Retires After Loss to Gilbert Burns by Unanimous Decision at UFC 287
April 9, 2023
Gilbert Burns took another step toward competing for the welterweight title at UFC 287 with a unanimous decision win over Jorge Masvidal in the co-main event from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
UFC @ufcGilbert gets the W!!<a href="https://twitter.com/GilbertDurinho?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GilbertDurinho</a> takes the unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal in our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC287?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UFC287</a> co-main <a href="https://t.co/hd0oG6GMwE">pic.twitter.com/hd0oG6GMwE</a>
Masvidal responded by calling it a career:
Shaheen Al-Shatti @shaunalshattiJorge Masvidal announces his retirement: "I don't feel the same when I get in here no more."<br><br>"I'm a multi-millionaire. I didn't have shit when I started. I can say I'm good for life now. Twenty long years, I love you guys." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC287?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UFC287</a>
The fight got off to a relatively slow start surprisingly. Masvidal owns the UFC record for the quickest knockout, but he took a more cautious approach with Burns. He landed a few nice kicks in the opening round, and Burns was equally tentative.
Burns scored a takedown late in the round that served as the most notable action of the first five minutes.
Unfortunately for Masvidal, Burns went right back to that playbook in a much more lopsided second frame. The Brazilian rag-dolled Masvidal en route to a dominant round.
With Masvidal worn down from the grappling in Round 2, Burns was able to accomplish more on the feet in Round 3. He landed several clean punches on Gamebred, though he couldn't put the fight in danger of being called.
Regardless, it was a comprehensive performance from Burns against a tough fighter in Masvidal.
The win should keep Burns squarely in the mix in the highly competitive welterweight division. With Leon Edwards beating Kamaru Usman in the rematch, the division feels wide open.
His only losses over the last five years have come against Khamzat Chimaev and Usman. He only lost 29-28 on all three scorecards against Chimaev.
There's probably some work left to do for Burns to get a crack at the title, but he seems ready to do it.
"I'm looking forward to a busy year. I'm a hard worker, I love to work," he said before the fight with Masvidal, per Kevin Schuster of UFC.com. "I hope a win over Jorge Masvidal puts me in title contention, but guess what? If not, I'm going to get another fight as soon as possible. I want a big year."
That's exciting news for fight fans. Burns continues to prove he's one of the top talents in the division, and he started building momentum with a first-round submission victory over Neil Magny to kick off the year.
As for Masvidal, this might be the end of the road. Gamebred told the media before the fight that he would retire with a loss to Burns. The 38-year-old has now dropped four in a row.
He seems to have confirmed that decision with his post-fight comments.
If it truly is the end for the brawler, the fans are losing one of the most entertaining fighters in the division.
His five-second knockout win over Ben Askren will remain on the UFC's highlight reel for a long time, and his seven career post-fight awards signified a fun career.