3 possible next opponents for Gilbert Burns after UFC Vegas 97 loss

As far as UFC APEX events go, UFC Vegas 97 was one for the ages. More often than not, the UFC APEX gives the UFC the agency to put out subpar events, but this card was good enough to go in front of a live crowd. The prelims had exciting prospects in the lighter classes such as Isaac Dulgarian and Andre Lima, and it featured a fair amount of exciting finishes as well. As for the main card, it was stacked with exciting fights from top to bottom, and the main event was just the cherry on top.

Both Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady are on the periphery of the UFC's welterweight elite, and they're two of the best grapplers that the division has to offer. It was always an intriguing stylistic matchup, but one that came with vastly different stakes for both men. For Burns, coming into this fight with a two-fight skid, this matchup was a chance for him to squash the hype of another top prospect. It also gave himself a chance to reinsert himself into title contention, after failing to do so against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299.

And for Brady, this fight was a chance for him to place himself in pole position for a title eliminator, the second time in his career he'd been in this exact spot. After defeating Michael Chiesa in 2021, he was 15-0 heading into a bout with Belal Muhammad at UFC 280, where a win would've almost certainly put him into title contention. However, after getting dispatched on his feet by a barrage of punches by Muhammad, he disappeared from the public eye, returning in December 2023 with a submission win over Kelvin Gastelum.

And so, this matchup had a lot of title implications for the winner, but it also threatened to leave the loser with a fair amount of unanswered questions. If Burns lost, he'd be on a three fight skid, with a serious possibility of slipping out of the top ten in the near future. And if Brady lost, he'd find himself on the outside looking in for the second time in his career, following yet another failed opportunity to cement himself as a true title contender.

And yet, with all the stakes that were associated with this matchup, it was Brady who managed to come out on top this Saturday, dominating Burns over five rounds to take a unanimous decision. And while Brady is almost surely getting a top five fight next, the next steps for Burns are much less clear. So, with that being said, let's pretend to be Hunter Campbell, and try find a fitting next matchup for him.

1. Winner of Stephen Thompson vs. Joaquin Buckley

Since Joaquin Buckley and Stephen Thompson are set to face off in October at UFC 307 this entry will be reserved for both of them, with the winner earning the right to this fight. It makes sense for either of the two, although for slightly different reasons.

For Thompson, if he manages to defeat Buckley, a win over Burns is exactly what he needs to reestablish himself as a potential top contender. As he approaches his 42nd birthday, Thompson doesn't have that much time left in his career, so it's really now or never in terms of his title aspirations. Burns defeated Thompson in their first fight, but both guys are a little past their prime's now, so it could legitimately be anyone's fight.

And as for Buckley, Burns would essentially be playing the same role that he has for his past two fights: a top ten gatekeeper. Della Maddalena and Brady both came into matchups with Burns in similar situations to Buckley, as highly touted prospects who were seeking their first marquee win. Obviously, a win over Thompson would help cement his status, but if Buckley wants to be a true contender, fighting Burns might be the next step.

2. Michael 'Venom' Page

In all fairness, suggesting a Michael "Venom" Page matchup for anyone in the UFC's welterweight division is unbelievably clichéd to death at this point, but it has its merit in this particular situation. Fans have been clamoring for Page to fight Thompson, but the status of that matchup is still heavily dependent on the result of Thompson's fight against Buckley.

Despite being ranked No. 13 in the division, Page is an intriguing fighter, a fresh face, and a recognizable name who will continually get a chance to fight up in the rankings due to his tenure as a Bellator fighter. His kickboxing style is generally hit-or-miss in terms of an entertaining watch, but fits against Burns, who usually won't bring the fight to the ground unless he absolutely has to.

At 37 years of age, Page will never hold UFC gold, but he can carve out a niche in the welterweight division as a higher-quality Kevin Holland. He's a lower-ranked guy who will fight anyone, anywhere, and usually ends up bringing a pretty entertaining fight. As for Burns, Page is a perfect way to get back into the win column, as his defensive grappling leaves much to be desired.

3. Michael Morales

This would really be a rough matchup for Burns, but with his TKO win over Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 96, Michael Morales has earned his shot up the rankings. Ian Machado Garry is the higher-ranked guy, but with how lackluster his recent performances have been, you could easily contend that Morales is the second-best undefeated welterweight behind Shavkat Rakhmonov. There really is no limit to his upside.

While the Contender Series alum hasn't faced a grappler as skilled as Burns to this point in his UFC career, his defensive grappling has still been mightily impressive during his tenure. In his five UFC bouts, Morales has only been taken down twice, stuffing 21 takedown attempts in that span. He has the skill set to keep the fight on the feet, and that's a very scary proposition for any fighter in the division.

Realistically, Morales is probably one win away from earning these kinds of top-10 matchups, but it's not out of the realm of possibility for the UFC to give him this kind of push. Dana White has shown a willingness to do so in the past, such as when he gave Della Maddalena a top-five fight off the back of a win over Holland. If Burns is game for it, Morales could get the biggest opportunity of his career.