Gilbert Burns wants to use his UFC experience to guide fighters as manager
The former UFC title challenger wants to help his clients build successful careers both inside and outside the Octagon.
Gilbert Burns wants to use his experience as a UFC veteran to help guide the next generation of fighters. The former UFC title challenger retired from MMA in April and has since started a new career as a manager, where he hopes to help his clients develop both as fighters and as brands.
Burns believes his years competing at the highest level have given him valuable knowledge that he can now pass on to the athletes he represents. His agency currently has 14 fighters under contract, according to the Brazilian, with more potential clients set to meet with him.
Gilbert Burns Wants to Build Fighters Beyond the UFC
Burns began his professional MMA career in January 2012, after he had already established himself as an accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter. "Durinho" arrived in the UFC in 2014 and spent more than a decade fighting in the promotion, eventually challenging Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title in 2021. Although he never won UFC gold, Burns believes his career has opened doors that can now help him in his work as a manager.
"I wasn't a UFC champion," Burns told Combate. "I fought for the belt, I had main events, I had Fight of the Year, but I wasn't a champion. But sometimes I'm even more recognized than a guy who was a UFC champion. Thank God the doors are open, because I like to work and I'm going to keep working."
Burns explained that his goal is not only to help his clients become UFC champions, but also to make them attractive to promotions, sponsors and fans regardless of whether they ultimately win a title.
"Of course, when I manage a guy, I want him to be champion," Burns said. "But whether he is or isn't a champion, I want the guy to develop as an attractive brand for the UFC, sponsors and fans. It's a job, it's not easy."
Burns also wants his fighters to understand that their careers involve more than what happens inside the cage. The Brazilian plans to teach his clients how to present themselves to the public, including through interviews, social media and communication skills.
"One thing I'm doing at the agency is this: teaching the guys to be a company, to be a product," Burns said. "So don't be just 'I'm another Brazilian in the UFC.' The guy is Brazilian, but he speaks English, he knows how to give interviews, his social media is good, he knows how to post, he fights well. So that's everything I'm developing to train all the guys."
Gilbert Burns Hopes to Send New Generation to UFC
One of Burns' main goals in his new career is to get his clients into the UFC. The former welterweight contender said several of the fighters represented by his agency are already close to reaching the promotion.
"I think I'm going to be able to put this new generation of mine in the UFC," Burns said. "I have a lot of guys almost going to the UFC, and I want these guys to start getting into the UFC next year and the year after."
