UFC Raleigh winner Herbert Burns has a couple of names in mind for his sophomore outing in the UFC.
Raleigh, NC — You only get one chance to make a first impression. And Herbert Burns made quite the impression in his promotional debut at UFC Raleigh on Saturday.
Facing fellow newcomer Nate Landwehr, Burns shocked fans with a first round knockout with a knee. The KO opened up the card. And it wasn’t the expected outcome, precisely, given Herbert, brother of UFC lightweight/welterweight Gilbert Burns, is better known for his submissions.
He did have a choke in earlier in the round, mind you. “At the start it was a good choke but he managed to open his elbow and took the pressure off it,” Burns recapped, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press following the bout. “I kept squeezing so there was a lot of pressure and he was having a hard time breathing until I tried to adjust, when I tried to adjust I lost it completely.”
With an impressive debut win under his belt, Burns has an idea of what he wants next. “I want to fight in Brazil, I want to fight May 9th in Brazil,” he said. That would be UFC 250, potentially headlined by Henry Cejudo vs. Jose Aldo. “I want to go back to Brazil and fight in front of my fans and my family.”
As for who he wants to tango with, “I’ll give you a few names,” he said. “Chase Hooper who also just debuted, would be a good match-up for me. Also Ryan Hall, he said he was the best grappler in the division. I came here to make a statement, I did with the first knockout and I want the bonus also.”
Hooper has become something of an overnight sensation after his love of M&Ms went viral. That and a quirky sense of humor, playing up his resemblance with Ben Askren, thrust him in the spotlight. As for Hall, he was last seen dispatching Darren Elkins.
On the bonus front, at least, Burns got what he was asking for. Burns was awarded one of two $50,000 post-fight Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Raleigh.
