What’s next for Gilbert Burns and Tyron Woodley after UFC on ESPN 9?

By Cole Shelton - June 1, 2020

In the main event of UFC on ESPN 9, Gilbert Burns was looking for the biggest win of his career as he was welcoming Tyron Woodley back to the Octagon.

Gilbert Burns, Tyron Woodley, UFC rankings

It was the first time Woodley would be fighting since his dominant decision loss to Kamaru Usman to lose his belt. In the lead up to the fight, he said he was motivated once again and would take Burns into deep waters. Yet, that is far from what happened as the Brazilian won every single round to take a decision win.

Now, following the event, here is what we think should be next for Gilbert Burns and Tyron Woodley.

Gilbert Burns

Gilbert Burns called for a title shot against his teammate and friend in Kamaru Usman, which does make sense. Yet, the welterweight division is a mess. Jorge Masvidal or Leon Edwards could get the title fight, and Burns is already saying he wants to fight again in June and remain active.

So, if Burns wants to remain active, the title shot may have to wait and a logical next fight is against Colby Covington. “Durinho” called out “Chaos” following his win over Demian Maia and Covington claimed he didn’t know him. He sure will know who he is now.

A fight between Burns and Covington can easily headline a Fight Night event. The lead up would be filled with trash-talking to add hype to the event. And, the winner would also get a title shot, which both men covet. So, Burns vs. Covington sometime this summer makes a ton of sense.

Tyron Woodley

For the first time in his career, Tyron Woodley is on a two-fight losing streak.

The entire fight Woodley could not get going and Burns even came close to finishing him in the first round. Yet, “The Chosen One” survived and lasted the entire 25 minutes. But, after the scrap ended, many were saying Woodley should retire. There are still a lot of fights to be had at 170 and 185-pounds for the former champ.

Although Woodley getting back into title contention seems unlikely to happen, there are several fights that make sense. A matchup against Rafael dos Anjos would be fun. But, what makes the most sense is the Robbie Lawler rematch which was supposed to happen last summer.

Both Woodley and Lawler are on losing streaks and are both big names that could headline a card or add to a pay-per-view. It also makes sense ranking-wise and something both men would likely be up to.

What do you think should be next for Gilbert Burns and Tyron Woodley after UFC on ESPN 9?

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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Gilbert Burns Tyron Woodley UFC