“Durinho” is more than just a top-five UFC Welterweight.
Nick “Nicky Rod” Rodriguez returns to grappling action against third-degree black belt Yuri Simoes in a rematch from March 2021.
In a recent interview with MMAMania.com, Rodriguez was asked which MMA fighter he has rolled with has the best Jiu-Jitsu, and he answered pretty quickly: Gilbert Burns.
“Oh, Gilbert Burns, in my opinion, is somebody I’ve rolled with that has some of the best jujitsu in the MMA world,” Rodriguez said. “Gilbert has a lot of tenacity when he moves. He moves with bad intentions. He’s hard to control, good guard passing, hard to submit, and you know, just hard to kill in general. So, Gilbert Burns is definitely one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA).”
It probably isn’t a big surprise that Burns is in the conversation for having the best jiu-jitsu as he is a multi-time world champion. His accomplishments include Gi and no-gi IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Champion, CBJJ Brazilian Champion, UAEJJF World Pro Champion, and European Open medallist. The Brazilian won all of these championships before transitioning to MMA. Burns also has nine submission wins on his MMA resume.
Burns has been out of action since losing a unanimous decision to Belal Muhammad in the co-main of UFC 288 but is ready to return to action in early 2024.