Herbert Burns set to fight in the U.S., explains conditions to re-sign with ONE Championship

Herbert Burns is moving on with his career.

The featherweight talent competed under the ONE Championship banner since 2013, but has dealt with long layoffs after going 4-0 in 12 months between 2013 and 2014.

“The Blaze”, the younger brother of UFC fighter Gilbert Burns, became a free agent after losing the last two fights on his contract, and decided to change a few things in his career.

Burns’ manager Gilberto Faria tried to negotiate a new deal with the company, but ONE Championship didn’t respond to their counteroffer. The featherweight didn’t want to sit and wait for a response from the Asian promotion, so he accepted a bout with 10-0 featherweight Jason Soares in Oklahoma.

“He’s the Fight Time champion, a local promotion here in Florida, and he’s undefeated,” Burns said of Soares. “I’ll get there on Dec. 9 to kill this guy and get back on the winning track. I’ll kill this guy, catch him in the first round. My plan is to win, finish him quickly.”

Burns signed a one-fight deal with Primus Fighting Championship, which has an event scheduled for Dec. 9 in Woodward. Soares is undefeated in 10 professional bouts, as the only blemish in his record came in an unofficial bout with Julian Rosa at The Ultimate Fighter 22 in 2015.

“It’s a one-fight deal, so I’m free in the market to negotiate with a promotion that wants my services.”

“I want to move on with my career, I can’t wait for ONE forever,” he continued. “They’ve held me long enough, I’ll move on with my life now. They know the numbers I want, so if they want me back they know the offer I want.”

Despite all the issues he’s faced over the past few years with ONE Championship, Burns wouldn’t mind re-signing with the company. He has some conditions, though.

“I would have no problem going back to ONE, I always leave doors open everywhere I go, and I love the fans there,” Burns said. “But my contract would need a clause stating that I have to fight at least twice a year. They know what I want to fight for them. If they want me fighting for them again, they know what they have to do.”

“My last two losses were decisions against tough fighters, but I think my last fight was good and I could’ve won,” he added. “I don’t know how the judges saw it. (Magomed Idrisov) didn’t get close to knocking me out, and I almost submitted him in the end, but I’m looking to the future now. I’ll put on a show on my next fight and get back to the winning track. My plan is to fight two or three fights in the first half of 2018.”