Herbert Burns wants to prove he’s legit.
The younger brother of jiu-jitsu wizard and undefeated MMA prospect Gilbert “Durinho”, Herbert Burns impressed in December when he took on Edward Kelly with five days’ notice and needed only 44 seconds to end the bout with a tight rear-naked choke in his One FC debut.
At 2-0 in MMA, Burns is excited to return to the cage on March 14 against 61-fight veteran Harris Sarmiento at One FC 14, and being less experienced is not a concern.
“I feel ready,” Burns told MMAFighting.com. You can’t wait for the perfect opportunity. When you have an opportunity, make it perfect.
“He has the edge in experience, but I have my weapons. I have to be smart and calm, without changing my fighting style. It’s a big fight with a great opponent, with so many abilities. I’m excited, it’s a great fight for me. I’m ready for anyone.”
Burns never needed more than 45 seconds to win in MMA, and he’s willing to prove against Sarmiento (36-25) that he’s not a one-trick pony.
“I believe in my jiu-jitsu, but I won’t get in there for a jiu-jitsu fight,” he said. “This is MMA, so I’ll create opportunities and use them. And I can surprise him with my striking. If I have the chance to end it quickly, I will. I’ll try to catch him or knock him out. My strategy is to win in every area, dominate him in every moment of the fight. I respect my opponent, but I believe in the win.”
Inspired by his brother “Durinho”, who is 6-0 in MMA with six first-round finishes, Herbert Burns says that training with top level sparring helped him in his transition from jiu-jitsu matches to MMA fights.
“My brother is one of my inspirations, for sure,” he said. “He’s really dedicated. I’m sure he’ll be in the UFC really soon.
“I’ve trained with (Vitor) Belfort, (Alexander) Gustafsson, and now I’m with Evolve MMA in Singapore,” he continued. “Evolve it’s the best MMA gym in Asia, one of the best in the world. My coaches are Heath Sims and Saenghirun Lookbanyai, and train with Leandro Issa, Eddie Ng and Leandro Ataides, so I feel that I’m always evolving.”
Sarmiento is only four years older but has 58 more professional fights than Burns, and that’s the type of competition that the Brazilian featherweight wants to get him closer to his goal.
“I want to be the One FC champion,” he said. “One FC is the biggest MMA promotion in Asia and one of the biggest in the world, and that’s my goal now. I want a successful career in MMA. I want to represent Brazil and jiu-jitsu the best way possible.”