Gilbert Burns has officially retired from MMA competition following UFC Winnipeg. Arman Tsarukyan dominated Urijah Faber 13-1 in their RAF wrestling match, throwing Faber into the crowd and delivering an amplitude throw as promised at the press conference. Following his victory, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, vowing to win 10-0 and stating he gave Faber one point out of respect but will show Covington no such mercy. Tsarukyan declared he would make people forget about Covington not just as a fighter but as a wrestler entirely. Khamzat Chimaev has signed with RAF, and Bo Nickal immediately challenged the champion in response to this news.
Gilbert Burns has officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts following UFC Winnipeg, closing the book on a career that saw the Brazilian welterweight become one of the division's most dangerous submission threats.
Burns, 39, finishes with a professional record of 22-10. Fighting out of Kill Cliff FC, the orthodox welterweight was ranked 13th in the division at the time of his retirement. Over his career he averaged 3.15 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, while also posing a consistent grappling threat with 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Separately, in a Russian All-Style (RAF) wrestling event, lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan delivered a dominant performance against Urijah Faber, winning their match 13-1. Tsarukyan made good on a pre-match promise, executing an amplitude throw and at one point sending Faber into the crowd. He gave Faber a single point, later framing it as a gesture of respect.
Following the victory, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, vowing to beat him 10-0 and declaring he would extend no such courtesy. Tsarukyan stated he intends to make people forget about Covington not only as a fighter but as a wrestler entirely.
In other news, Khamzat Chimaev has signed with RAF, a development that immediately drew a response from Bo Nickal, who called out the middleweight contender. Chimaev, 32, carries a 15-1 record and sits ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth in the pound-for-pound standings. Fighting out of Allstars Training Center, he averages 4.04 significant strikes per minute and a remarkable 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes. Nickal, 30, is 9-1 and brings elite wrestling credentials of his own, averaging 3.1 takedowns and 2.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes with a 61 percent striking accuracy.
Why it matters
- Burns's retirement removes a veteran submission danger from the welterweight top 15
- Tsarukyan's callout of Covington in a wrestling format raises the stakes beyond MMA competition
- Chimaev's RAF signing and Nickal's immediate challenge sets up a compelling grappling rivalry between two of the sport's premier wrestlers
