NEW YORK – Shane Burgos beat Makwan Amirkhani with a third-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Take a look inside the fight with Burgos, who won for the third straight time.
Result: Shane Burgos def. Makwan Amirkhani via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:42
Updated records: Burgos (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), Amirkhani (15-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC)
Key stat: Burgos landed nearly 70 percent of his total strikes and outstruck Amirkhani 157-28 – though Amirkhani landed three takedowns.
Burgos on the fight’s key moment
“I tried not to think too much about him being a step down in competition after Cub (Swanson), it was a little harder to stay focused and I was the biggest favorite on the card. It puts more pressure on me because I’m supposed to win, so I wanted to go out there and not just win, but finish him. It’s exactly what I needed and wanted to do. My pace and my power made the difference, he felt those body shots. I expected him to stand a little longer, he shot right off the bat and it caught me a little off guard, but it went well, I’m happy with it.”
Burgos on fighting at Madison Square Garden
“The first time I competed in MSG, it was quick, like two minutes or something, so I didn’t have a chance to embrace it. This time, I soaked it in: walking out, being in there, walking back – I soaked it all in. It was awesome. It means a lot to me. You heard how loud the place was. I have so many friends and family here and my team, I knew the crowd would be electrifying. ”
Burgos on what he wants next
“A ranked opponent would only make sense for me now, but whatever the UFC wants. That was the last fight on my contract, so hopefully I made a statement. I want a big deal next.”
To hear more from Burgos, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
