Shane Burgos' matchmaking philosophy: 'If they're ranked, cool. If not, I don't give a (expletive)'

BOSTON – Ranked opponents? Sure, that sounds nice. But Shane Burgos isn’t too hung up on the idea.

If he beats Calvin Kattar (17-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on Saturday, Burgos (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will have added a fourth straight win to his unbeaten UFC run. The number might not say that much – but it’s how Burgos has put his streak together that’s impressive.

Burgos had only a week’s notice for his UFC debut. He still took a unanimous decision over Tiago Trator – mid-fight haircut included. He followed that up with a bonus-winning knockout of Charles Rosa, and ended 2017 with a one-sided three-round battering of Godofredo Pepey.

And it all came within a seven-month span.

It’s only fair, then, that Burgos would like a top-15 opponent should he get past Kattar – on a pay-per-view main-card bout, no less – at UFC 220. But leverage or not, he’s not going to demand it, either.

“If they give me an exciting matchup outside the top 15 that’s going to get the fans excited, that’s going to get me paid that nice bonus, I’m willing to take that, too,” Burgos told MMAjunkie ahead of UFC 220, which takes place at TD Garden in Boston.

“I don’t really care too much about the opponents. I don’t really care too much about rankings, really. I’m just looking to go out there, win every single fight and have exciting fights, too.”

It’s not that Burgos doesn’t think about being champion. In fact, he doesn’t only think about it – it’s more like he knows he will be champion. He just hasn’t put a time limit on when it will happen.

What he knows is that getting there will involve one key thing: winning. Whether it’s the worst or the best guys, Burgos reasons, beating a bunch of them in a row is going to shoot him up the rankings, anyway. So why not make it a fun ride?

“If they’re ranked, cool,” Burgos said. “If they’re not, I don’t give a (expletive).”

Burgos believes he has that in Kattar. Having previously dealt with opponents who he knew would want to take him down, Burgos believes he has in front of him a man who will choose to strike – at least until Burgos’ hands meet his face, anyway.

In any case, he believes the outcome will more or less the same.

“The last couple of fights, I was really gung-ho on the knockout,” Burgos said. “But, if I see this dude’s neck, I’m going to choke him. I have a feeling I might hurt him, then take him to the ground. Then finish or the ground or hurt him – he goes for a takedown, I finish him. But one way or another, I’m getting the finish.”

To hear more from Burgos, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC 220, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.