Gilbert Burns says it would be “easy money” to fight Nate Diaz

UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns said it would be “easy money” if he were to step into the Octagon and fight against Nate Diaz.

Burns takes on Stephen Thompson in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 264 pay-per-view card. Coming off of a TKO loss to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, Burns is eager to get back into the Octagon and get back into the win column, and inch closer back to getting a title shot. But while Burns is focused on getting back to the title, he can’t help but look at the other fighters at 170lbs and wonder how those fights would play out.

Speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s big PPV card, Burns was asked how a matchup against Diaz would go. Diaz recently called Burns an “amateur” and the Brazilian was not happy with those comments. Coming off of a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards, Burns views Diaz as an “easy money” fight and said he would fight him if the UFC wants it.

“For sure. Easy fight, easy money. For sure I’d fight Nate any day of the week. It’s not in my plans right now. I don’t think he deserves to fight me right now. I’m No. 2 in the world right now. But he’s a big fight, he brings a lot of eyes, a lot of fans. Why not?” Burns said. “But he just came from two losses, and the two losses that he had, those two guys lost to the guy that beat me (Usman). The two losses were to Masvidal and Edwards, Kamaru beat both and I lost to Kamaru. So there’s not much he can say about it. I kind of try to keep the respect to these OG guys in the UFC. But at the end of the day, this guy has so many losses that I would fight him for sure. But I’m not chasing that fight, I’m chasing that belt.”

Would you like to see Gilbert Burns fight Nate Diaz?