Titanic battle between Gilbert Burns and Neil Magny this Sunday in UFC 283

MANILA, Philippines — Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter Gilbert Burns opined that he has to destroy American opponent Neil Magny when UFC 283 unveils at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this Sunday, January 22 at 7 a.m. (Manila time).

In his 13-year fight career, Magny (27-10-0) has heard all the taunts and denigrating, and yet, he is 19-8 in 10 years in the UFC. 

But he is up against the fifth-ranked welterweight Burns (20-5-0) who many dodge to get a shot at the welterweight title now held by Leon Edwards. In his most recent bout, Burns was defeated by Khamzat Chimaev via unanimous decision in April 2022. 

Magny, on the other hand, got the win in his fight with Daniel Rodriguez in November last year when he forced his American compatriot to tap out. Magny is currently ranked 12th and a victory will move him into the Top 10.

“Right now, I am just focused on the fight against a tough fighter, a really good one,” said Magny. “It is a huge opportunity for me because a win puts me closer to title contention. It is a high stakes game and I am ready for this opportunity.”

The American will be facing a hostile crowd in Brazil where he is 1-2 but 7-5 overall when fighting outside the United States. 

“Once the fight starts, nothing else matters. I can black out the crowd and everything else and focus on the fight. There’s always extra motivation fighting abroad because you have to deal with the home crowd. And I have made a career out of fighting the odds.” 

Prior to becoming a mixed martial arts fighter, Magny was in the US military and served during the invasion of Kuwait. While the reception from the Kuwaitis wasn’t hostile as they were being liberated from Iraq, it was a war nevertheless. 

“I tried out in the Ultimate Fighter four times before I got in. In my first year in the UFC, I went 1-2 and was on the verge of being cut. But I persevered. That is testimony to the career path I chose,” said a proud Magny.

“You cannot get caught up in win streaks or get down on losing streaks, you have to treat every day, every fight as an opportunity. Now I am in my 10th year in the UFC, how lucky am I? Many others do not last long. Some only have one or two fights then they are done. And to be fighting in the 30th year of the UFC is nothing short of amazing. I am happy to be a part of this organization. I am happy for the opportunity to be here. It has been nothing short of incredible.”

UFC 283 will be televised this Sunday, January 22 with the undercards beginning at 7 a.m. with the preliminary card starting at 9 a.m. and the main card at 11 a.m. MMA fans can watch on the Premier Sports channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as the TapGo streaming application.