Shane
Burgos wasn’t supposed to be here.
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He’s well aware of that fact. But now that he is, the UFC veteran
plans to make the most of his second chance by defeating Clay
Collard in their lightweight semifinal matchup at PFL 9 on
Wednesday night in New York.
“This is the fight everybody wanted to see,” Burgos said at a PFL
media day. “Before I was in the weight class, it’s a fight I had my
eyes on for a while. I’m ready for it. It’s one of those matchups,
it can’t be boring. It’s gonna be a firefight from the first bell
to the last bell. I’m doing everything in my power to get this
finish, my first PFL finish over a guy like Clay is going to mean
the world to me.”
After losing his PFL debut to Olivier
Aubin-Mercier and then earning a decision against Yamato
Nishikawa in his second appearance, Burgos snuck into the
postseason under unusual circumstances. Based on points alone,
Natan
Schulte would have been in the playoffs, but the league
ultimately suspended the two-time lightweight champ and opponent
Raush
Manfio for what was determined to be a lackluster bout at PFL
6. That made Burgos the next man up.
“I want to make the most of this opportunity, first and foremost.
Technically I wasn’t supposed to be here based off the points, but
I was granted this opportunity,” Burgos said. “I won my last fight,
gave it my all. I’m here so I’m going to make the absolute most of
it.
“How do I feel? I feel bad for the guys. It’s a s—t position to be
in to have to fight your best friend. I’ve never been in that
position before. I can’t image being in that position, so I do feel
for those guys, especially them being suspended. This is how we
provide for our families.”
However, Burgos said the anger directed his way for the PFL’s
ruling is unfounded.
“I didn’t do anything. A lot of people are giving me backlash for
that,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Guys what do you want me to do?’ I
didn’t ask for it. Had Yamato beat my ass, you don’t think the PFL
would’ve done the same thing and gave him the opportunity? He’d be
sitting here right now if it wasn’t me winning the fight.”
Now that he’s in a position to potentially fight for a PFL
championship and $1 million, Burgos is tuning out the
naysayers.
“It’s an opportunity. I can only control what I can control,” he
said. “Any other s—t that happens, I’m not gonna put too much stock
in it. If you don’t think I deserve it, I don’t really give a f—k
what anyone thinks. I really, truly don’t. I’m the main event for a
reason. This is the fight. I’m not just going out there to show up
and get a paycheck. I’m going out there to win and cash my ticket
into the $1 million final.”
Burgos hasn’t finished a fight since a TKO win against Makwan
Amirkhani at UFC 244 in November 2019. He expects that to
change against Collard.
“From the first bell to the last bell it’s gonna be a f—-ing
banger. But I’m getting the finish in this one, no judges needed,”
Burgos said. “And it’s funny because for this fight we don’t need
to worry about points, but that’s why I want it even more. There’s
no pressure to get the finish, but I’m putting this pressure on
myself. I’m gonna go out there and have fun. I fell in love with
this sport because it was fun … When I’m having fun I’m the best
Shane
Burgos in the world. That’s exactly what I plan on bringing
Wednesday night.”