Gilbert Burns to make immediate return after retirement, but not where you’d expect

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Fans won’t have to wait long to see Gilbert Burns back in action, even after his recent retirement from the UFC.

Burns received praise from Khamzat Chimaev among others for the way he closed out his career, a run that included 25 fights and a regular presence in the welterweight rankings.

While he may have had plans in mind for what’s next even before his retirement, there’s still room for him to put his skills to use away from MMA competition.

Gilbert Burns link up with American grappling promotion

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

According to The MMA Hour, Gilbert Burns has signed on to join Karate Combat’s new grappling league as part of their “Karate Combat Pit Submission Series.”

During the interview, Chamatkar Sandhu pointed out how much more control athletes can maintain over their careers when it comes to schedule and training camps. When asked about facing off against Chandler again, here’s what Burns had to say:

“If they put me with Michael Chandler I’m going. I don’t need too much time; just give me a couple of months because Michael Chandler is tough. Just give me a good camp and I will be ready.”

Gilbert Burns to face Piter Frank in grappling bout at Connect Heroes

Gilbert Burns decided to hang up his gloves following a loss to Mike Malott, saying he didn’t want to keep fighting just to fill out the numbers in the welterweight division.

‘Durinho’ made his mark as a multiple-time IBJJF world champion before transitioning to MMA, though his jiu-jitsu background wasn’t always at the forefront of his UFC career.

Just days after stepping away from MMA, Burns is already lined up for a return to the grappling scene. He’s set to compete on July 11 in Rio de Janeiro at Connect Heroes.