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Gilbert Burns had a callout planned before losing at UFC Winnipeg.

Former UFC welterweight title contender Gilbert Burns revealed who he was going to call out if he had won at UFC Winnipeg last weekend.

The Brazilian Burns traveled into enemy territory last Saturday when he fought Canadian Mike Malott in the main event of UFC Winnipeg. Coming into the fight off four straight losses, this was a critical bout for the UFC career of Burns, which began way back in 2014. Unfortunately for the 39-year-old Burns, he suffered his fifth loss in a row when Malott knocked him out in Round 3.

Immediately following the loss, Burns took off his gloves and laid them down in the center of the Octagon, announcing his retirement to the MMA world. For Burns, it was the end of his 25-fight UFC career, where he racked up a respectable 15-10 record. But given his age and the amount of damage he has taken in recent years, the retirement did not come as a total surprise to fans.

Gilbert Burns Had a Callout Planned Before His KO Loss

Of course, Burns entered the cage that night thinking he would win, just like any fighter does before they step into the Octagon. Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Burns admitted he planned on calling out Colby Covington had he beaten Malott at UFC Winnipeg.

“I believed I was going to win. I think Mike Malott is a great fighter but I do believe I was going to win and I have everything it takes to win. If I was winning, I was going to call out Colby [Covington] for International Fight Week. I had a whole plan,” Burn said.

According to Burns, he had a three-fight retirement plan for the end of his career. It would start with a win over Malott, then a fight with Covington, and then one final bout in Brazil against Daniel Rodriguez, Kevin Holland, or Leon Edwards. However, the KO loss to Malott scuttled those plans, and Burns decided to retire immediately instead of having two more fights.

“With a win, if I go out there and I beat this guy and I do a big callout for International Fight Week, then it makes sense. Then I think the UFC would give the Colby fight to me. Then after the Colby fight, then maybe the last one I do a retirement fight in Brazil. That was my plan. If everything went my way, it would be Colby Covington on International Fight Week and then it would be Daniel Rodriguez or Kevin Holland or Leon Edwards, retirement fight in Brazil. That’s what was going through my mind. That’s why I said three more fights, that was the way I thinking. But in the back of my head I was thinking if I can’t beat Mike Malott, if I lose, if I got finished, I’m done,” Burn said.

Gilbert Burns Could Enter the UFC Hall of Fame One Day

On face value, Burns’ 15-10 UFC record doesn’t scream UFC Hall of Famer, at least when it comes to the Fighter Wing, which mostly consists of former champions. However, the UFC HOF has a Fight Wing, and Burns’ fight at UFC 273 in 2022 against Khamzat Chimaev is widely considered by many to be one of the most exciting UFC fights of all time. When it’s all said and done, don’t be surprised if this fight is enshrined in the HOF, which means Burns would become a HOFer.