UFC 268: Shane Burgos Not Expecting to See Third Round Against Billy Quarantillo

New York, NY — When Luke Rockhold vs. Sean Strickland fell off the UFC 268 card, featherweight Shane Burgos “had a feeling they were going to bump me up to the main card.”

And that’s just what has happened, with Burgos (13-3) facing Billy Quarantillo between Frankie Edgar vs. Marlon Vera and Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler this Saturday. “No one’s going to be stepping away from the TV during this main card,” Burgos noted during Wednesday’s UFC 268 media day.

After being knocked out in the third round by Edson Barboza earlier this year, Burgos isn’t keen on another lengthy contest.

“I never want a three-round war. I go out there and I have a lot of wars, I never intend for that to happen,” Burgos stated. “My job is— I don’t get paid by the minute. I’m trying to get in there and get the fuck out as soon as possible.”

He feels he can do that against Billy Quarantillo, in a pairing that he is absolutely thrilled with. “I love this match-up. It’s a great match-up,” Burgos said Wednesday. “Every fight I’ve had now, stylistically on paper, is phenomenal, and I don’t see how this fight could not be a fun fight for the fans.”

Burgos’ last fight is best remembered for his delayed reaction to the knockout blow, although he was cleared in terms of concussion. And despite a tough defeat, his confidence is “at an all-time high still,” he told Cageside Press. “All-time high. I got caught. It’s one of those things, it’s a tough pill to swallow, I feel like I was just gaining momentum in that fight, and it was a very competitive fight, I would love to run that one back. That was a fun fight.”

“It’s one of those things, it’s so hard, because I didn’t get lazy, I just got caught,” reiterated Burgos, who added it was a “weird feeling” standing with one of the best strikers in the world in Barboza, who he’d been watching since high school. “I feel like I still could have won that fight, so my confidence is at an all-time high still.”

Watch the full UFC 268 media day appearance from Shane Burgos above. More coverage of the event can be found below. UFC 268 takes place Saturday November 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.