“That sh*t scared me” – Conor McGregor and fans stunned to watch ‘piss poor’ fight between Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad at UFC 288
The co-main event of UFC 288 failed to deliver massive entertainment to the fans. Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad stepped up to save the PPV card.
Follow Us
Conor McGregor commented on the fight (Image Courtesy - MMA Mania/Twitter)
UFC 288 had a scary moment when Charles Oliveira got injured and pulled out of his match-up with Beneil Dariush. However, Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad stepped up to save the day. Both fighters rank in the top five of the welterweight division. The winner will likely get the next title shot.
Belal Muhammad is on a nine-fight unbeaten streak with notable victories over Vicente Luque and Sean Brady. After losing a decision in 2019, Muhammad had gone the last four years without tasting defeat. On the other hand, Burns is on a two-fight winning streak. Since he moved to the welterweight division, he has only lost to elite competitors. He lost the title fight to Kamaru Usman and a close decision against Khamzat Chimaev.
Burns came into the bout with a fresh victory over Jorge Masvidal. Belal managed to drop Burns in the first round and landed good body kicks. Belal found success with his kicks on the southpaw stance. Burns looked flat in the second round, with Muhammad being the more active fighter. Even in the third round, Burns threw few strikes, and Muhammad capitalized with more activity.
Burns revealed an injury to the left arm to his coach after the third round. However, Burns managed to land some good right hand and a couple of leg kicks to end the round. Heading into the final round, Belal appeared to win most of them. Burns tried to overcome his injury in the last five minutes, but Belal stayed composed to finish the fight. He won the contest via unanimous decision on the scorecard at UFC 288.
Fans and Conor McGregor react to Belal Muhammad vs Gilbert Burns
Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad stepped up on short notice to fill the co-main event spot at UFC 288. It was not an easy fight for both fighters. Fans took to Twitter to praise the fighters for stepping up on short notice. Belal won the fight by decision. Some of them trolled the fighters for their inactivity. Conor McGregor also joined in to comment on the fight. Fight fans mocked Belal for being unable to finish Burns, who injured his left arm. Check out some of the fan reactions:
The bout was a potential title eliminator. Belal will likely get the next title shot. He will closely observe the fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington. UFC and Dana White will look to book the title fight later this year.
In Case You Missed It!
Stay Updated!
Nidhin Shibu
(2537 Articles Published)