Gilbert Burns has officially retired from MMA. Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber by technical superiority with a dominant 13-1 score, throwing Faber off the mat during the match. After the bout, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, promising to shut him out 10-0 and make people forget about Covington as a wrestler. Hamzat Chimaev has signed a contract with RAF. Bo Nickal immediately responded to this news by challenging the RAF champion.
Gilbert Burns has officially called time on his MMA career, while Arman Tsarukyan delivered a commanding performance against Urijah Faber and Khamzat Chimaev has linked up with a new promotional home — all on a busy April 19 news cycle.
Burns, 39, retires with a professional record of 22-10-0, closing the book on a welterweight career that saw him reach the top of the 170-pound division. The Brazilian, who trained out of Kill Cliff FC, ranked 13th in the welterweight division at the time of his retirement. Standing five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach, Burns was a well-rounded threat who averaged 3.15 significant strikes landed per minute at 48 percent accuracy, while also mixing in 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Tsarukyan dominated Faber by technical superiority, winning by a lopsided 13-1 margin and at one point sending Faber off the mat in the process. Following the victory, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, vowing to shut him out 10-0 and make people forget about Covington's reputation as a wrestler.
Khamzat Chimaev, the number-one-ranked middleweight and number-10-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has signed a contract with RAF. The 32-year-old, who fights out of Allstars Training Center and carries a 15-1-0 record, is one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport — averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 4.04 significant strikes landed per minute at 60 percent accuracy. The news drew an immediate response from Bo Nickal, who wasted no time challenging the RAF champion.
Why it matters
- Burns's retirement opens a spot in the welterweight rankings and marks the end of a notable title-contending run at 170 pounds.
- Chimaev's move to RAF sets up a potential blockbuster matchup, with Nickal — a 9-1-0 southpaw averaging 3.1 takedowns and 2.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes — immediately throwing his name into the mix.
- Tsarukyan's callout of Covington, framed around shutting down his wrestling, signals his ambitions stretch well beyond lightweight.
