5 Things You Might Not Know About Shane Burgos

Shane Burgos long ago established himself as one of the sport’s preeminent action heroes.

The 32-year-old will step up his pursuit of a Professional Fighters League playoff spot when he faces former Shooto champion Yamato Nishikawa in a three-round PFL 6 lightweight showcase on Friday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. Burgos has won two of his past three bouts. However, he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Olivier Aubin-Mercier in his long-awaited promotional debut at PFL 3 on April 14. The loss, his first in nearly two years, left him with his back against the wall in the 2023 postseason chase.

As Burgos moves ever closer to his high-stakes confrontation with Nishikawa at 155 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He was raised in the shadows of ‘The House That Ruth Built.’

Burgos was born on March 19, 1991 in The Bronx, New York, not far from the original Yankee Stadium. The 1991 Yankees went a disappointing 71-91 and finished fifth out of seven teams in the American League East, but a few key pieces to a coming dynasty—Bernie Williams and Jim Leyritz—were already in place.

2. Wise choices hastened his development.

“Hurricane” was spawned by Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts, a gym that has become synonymous with the combat sports scene in the Northeast. There, Burgos has logged an unknown number of hours sharpening his skills alongside a host of accomplished stablemates, from Jimmie Rivera and Lyman Good to Michael Trizano, Julio Arce and Nick Pace.

3. He flexed his skills at the highest level.

Burgos was a four-time “Fight of the Night” winner in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he banked $225,000 in bonuses across his 11 appearances inside the Octagon.

4. His travels have been surprisingly limited.

The Daniel Schulmann protege has fought outside the continental United States only once in his 19-fight career. Burgos took a split decision from Cub Swanson—they combined to land 263 strikes against one another in 15 minutes—at UFC Fight Night 151 on May 4, 2019 in Ottawa, Ontario.

5. He grasps the fleeting nature of momentum.

Burgos started his career a perfect 10-0 with eight finishes. However, he has compiled a 5-4 record in his nine assignment since, with losses to Aubin-Mercier, Edson Barboza, Josh Emmett and Calvin Kattar.