Tag: Gilbert Burns

Gilbert Burns Confident Kamaru Usman “Is A Level Above” Khamzat Chimaev, Backs Leon Edwards As A Tougher Challenge

Gilbert Burns, Kamaru Usman, Khamzat ChimaevGilbert Burns proved to be the toughest test for upcoming prospect Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273. ‘Durinho’ took on the undefeated Chechen in a closely-fought three-round battle that ultimately saw Chimaev come out on top. It would mark the first time Chimaev would win on the judges’ scorecards having finished all his ten opponents prior. […]

Gilbert Burns, Kamaru Usman, Khamzat Chimaev

Gilbert Burns proved to be the toughest test for upcoming prospect Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273.

‘Durinho’ took on the undefeated Chechen in a closely-fought three-round battle that ultimately saw Chimaev come out on top. It would mark the first time Chimaev would win on the judges’ scorecards having finished all his ten opponents prior. Andreas Michael, Chimaev’s coach, came out with a statement following the victory calling for a fight against the top contender Colby Covington next.

Gilbert Burns doesn’t think Khamzat Chimaev is on the same level as Kamaru Usman

Chimaev rose up to the second spot in the rankings after beating the former title challenger and has made his desire clear to take on the reigning UFC Welterweight king Kamaru Usman.

Burns is a former training partner of the champion and has shared the journey to the top from his first victory. The two went their separate ways after they were matched up against each other causing Usman to move over to Colorado to train under Trevor Wittman.

While Usman managed to finish Burns in their clash, Chimaev wasn’t successful in a similar fashion. Usman has talked about how his mindset elevates him over the rest of the competition and the 35-year-old Brazilian seems to agree.

“Kamaru, I think the IQ difference [over Khamzat] — IQ makes a lot of difference,” Burns told MMA Fighting. “I think Kamaru is very smart. He hits hard. Kamaru put me away. Three rounds, [Khamzat] couldn’t put me away. I think Kamaru does hit harder.

“I think Kamaru, the fight IQ with wrestling and striking is better than this guy. With the timing, the movement, with mixing things up, the feints, the angles, I think Kamaru is a level above this guy still.”

Burns acknowledged Chimaev’s durability and toughness but believes it’s nothing new for the pound-for-pound king.

“I think Khamzat will be tough, but it’s nothing Kamaru hasn’t seen,” Burns said. “I stuffed one takedown, he took me down one time, but nothing [serious]. Kamaru’s IQ is different.”

Burns backs Leon Edwards to be the toughest matchup

Usman has proven to be a dominant champion who is lapping his division beating contenders twice. Leon Edwards has been linked for a fight against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ for over a year now but the bout has not materialized.

Burns believes that Edwards would be a tougher matchup for Usman than ‘Borz’.

“Leon Edwards, because of the striking, the movement,” Burns said. “I think Leon Edwards, people are kind of forgetting him a little bit with so much about Khamzat, but I still think Leon Edwards is very tough.”

As for the top contender Covington, UFC President Dana White said he’d like to see ‘Chaos’ face off against Chimaev on an ABC card but no official developments have been reported since.

“I think Colby hasn’t been tested,” Burns said. “He’s going to try to grapple against this guy. [Khamzat] has heavy hands. He’s got to respect that a little bit. One thing, that can be different is the Colby pace and cardio. He might be pushing that guy into the later rounds.

“We’ll see if that’s next, or if it will be Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev. That’s a little closer fight, but I just think Kamaru is a step above this guy.”

Gilbert Burns Opens Up On Sanford MMA Reunion With Kamaru Usman

UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns has discussed reigning champion Kamaru Usman’s recent return to Sanford MMA in Florida. Prior to 2020, Burns and Usman trained under the same renowned roof, and had done at both Sanford MMA and the now-defunct Blackzilians gym. But after winning the 170-pound title and recording his first successful defense, “The…

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UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns has discussed reigning champion Kamaru Usman’s recent return to Sanford MMA in Florida.

Prior to 2020, Burns and Usman trained under the same renowned roof, and had done at both Sanford MMA and the now-defunct Blackzilians gym. But after winning the 170-pound title and recording his first successful defense, “The Nigerian Nightmare” turned to Trevor Wittman to help improve and advance his striking skills.

In his first fight under the tutelage of Wittman, Usman was scheduled to share the Octagon with former teammate Burns. After the Brazilian’s withdrawal, he instead defeated Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251, before facing his former teammate seven months later.

Following a fairly heated buildup, the pair headlined UFC 258 in February 2021. Despite an early scare, Usman recovered and put his standup development on full display, stopping “Durinho” via TKO in the second frame.

After an emotional Burns was comforted post-fight by the champ, it appeared relations were cordial, something which has been evident in recent months with Usman’s visits to his old training facility.

Burns: I Have No Personal Issues With Usman

Ahead of Burns’ memorable three-round war with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 in April, Usman returned for a Sanford reunion. Having remained present at the gym in the weeks that have followed, it seems there’s no bad blood between the titleholder and his previously defeated contender.

During a recent interview with The Schmo, Burns opened up about what it’s like having Usman back at the gym, admitting that the presence of a man he lost to is ‘humbling’. Ultimately, the Brazilian suggested that the more talent available at Sanford, the better.

“It’s good. I think he humbles me a lot because I lost to the guy. I don’t have no personal issues with the guy,” said Burns. “We’ve worked together a couple times, and it’s good, it’s good to have the guy back. People ask, ‘What about if you guys fight,’ we’re gonna fight. The only guy that I don’t fight in that division is Vicente Luque. Other than that, I’ll fight anyone in that division.

“I’m gonna keep chasing that title. I’m not chasing Kamaru, I’m not chasing anyone, I’m chasing the title. It’s good, good to work with this guy, he has a lot of experience, has fought everybody, is undefeated in the UFC,” added Burns. “Yeah, it’s always good. We have a ton of good guys at Sanford MMA.”

Kamaru Usman Gilbert Burns
Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns

While their relationship may be good, Burns still boasts title aspirations and will be hoping to book a second crack at dethroning Usman soon enough. While his next opponent is yet to be confirmed, “Durinho” has his sights set on Masvidal and Colby Covington.

How do you think a rematch between Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman would play out?

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Gilbert Burns, Ali Abdelaziz Bet On Oliveira vs. Makhachev Winner

Gilbert Burns and Ali Abdelaziz seem to have put on a friendly wager for a potential Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev bout. Abdelaziz took to Twitter to note he heard a recent interview in which Burns said he believes that Oliveira would beat his client, Makhachev, in a potential meeting inside the Octagon. Abdelaziz said…

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Gilbert Burns and Ali Abdelaziz seem to have put on a friendly wager for a potential Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev bout.

Abdelaziz took to Twitter to note he heard a recent interview in which Burns said he believes that Oliveira would beat his client, Makhachev, in a potential meeting inside the Octagon. Abdelaziz said he knows Burns doesn’t believe that, as he’d beat fellow top-ranked 155-pounder Beniel Dariush too.

This prompted a response from Burns, suggesting Abdelaziz put his money where his mouth is and wager on the potential fight.

A simple reply of “Done” then followed from Abdelaziz, however, no exact amount was agreed upon.

The lightweight division is certainly in an interesting spot at the moment. Charles Oliveira was forced to vacate the title after missing weight at UFC 274. Now, he’s slated to fight an opponent yet to be determined for the vacant strap.

That opponent is expected to be Makhachev. However, the UFC had previously planned on booking Makhachev against Dariush to determine the No. 1 contender for the title. It remains to be seen what the UFC will officially do next.

Despite the uncertainty, what cannot be denied is the dominance of both Oliveira and Makhachev throughout their current respective runs in the division. Oliveira has been making light work of his opponents with his submission game as of late.

The Brazilian finds himself on an 11-fight win streak at the moment. As for Makhachev, he has only ever lost one fight in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career. He’s on a 10-fight win streak since his first loss in 2015.

Currently, the time couldn’t be more perfect for both men to be competing against each other. It will be interesting to see if the UFC decides to pull the trigger on that fight next.

What do you think of Gilbert Burns and Ali Abdelaziz betting on the potential Oliveira vs. Makhachev bout? Let us know in the comments!

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Burns: Oliveira Is On A Different Level Than Everyone, Including Khabib

Gilbert Burns thinks UFC lightweight Charles Oliveira is doing something that we haven’t seen before in the UFC Octagon. Oliveira earned another win over Justin Gaethje in the UFC 274 headliner. Despite missing championship weight and being stripped of his title, he appeared undistracted and put on another impressive performance against another top lightweight contender….

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Gilbert Burns thinks UFC lightweight Charles Oliveira is doing something that we haven’t seen before in the UFC Octagon.

Oliveira earned another win over Justin Gaethje in the UFC 274 headliner. Despite missing championship weight and being stripped of his title, he appeared undistracted and put on another impressive performance against another top lightweight contender.

While Oliveira isn’t the lightweight titleholder as of now, most fans and media recognize him as the lightweight champion. He earned the then-vacant title over Michael Chandler before defending it against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269.

Oliveira’s 11-fight winning streak has created comparisons between himself and former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. After defeating Gaethje at UFC 254, the undefeated champion Nurmagomedov opted to walk away from the sport in the middle of his prime.

Conor McGregor reacts to Khabib Nurmagomedov retiring and makes announcement on own career | The Independent

Oliveira isn’t planning on leaving MMA anytime soon, but speculation about what would happen in a hypothetical matchup between himself and Nurmagomedov has run rampant.

During a recent interview with MMA journalist Helen Yee, Burns explained how while he’s biased being Brazilian, he feels Oliveira presents a ton of issues for all lightweights including the retired Nurmagomedov.

“It’s different, you know?” Burns said of the Oliveira/Nurmagomedov comparisons. “Khabib was the guy that did the hardest thing: undefeated and left All the respect, but he left. Like I said, Oliveira’s been there since he was super young — put himself in the fire, fighting everybody, like I think he’s 11-0 coming on this streak that he’s coming right now, all finishes. How crazy is that? And finishing guys — Justin Gaethje in the first round, Dustin Poirier second round. If you don’t knock (him) out, he submits you.

“So I’m a fan of both, but right now, Oliveira is unbeatable. I don’t know. If they make that fight, for sure Khabib is different, but I don’t know, bro. Oliveira is on a different level right now.”

Oliveira could be on the verge of fighting Nurmagomedov’s protégé, Islam Makhachev, for the now-vacant lightweight title. Makhachev has called out Oliveira for a fight for years, as he recently revealed on social media.

Nurmagomedov has reiterated his desire to stay retired and focus on coaching other Dagestani MMA prospects like Makhachev, as well as leading the charge behind his Eagle FC promotion. While a matchup between Nurmagomedov and Oliveira seems highly unlikely, the conversation regarding the UFC lightweight GOAT could begin to ramp up in the coming years.

Do you agree with Gilbert Burns’ thoughts on Charles Oliveira?

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Gilbert Burns On Tony Kelley’s Brazil Comments: “Man Up & Apologize”

Gilbert Burns isn’t happy with how UFC bantamweight Tony Kelley has handled the aftermath of his controversial remarks about Brazil. While he cornered his teammate Andrea Lee at UFC Vegas 54 earlier this month, Kelley could be heard on the broadcast berating Lee’s opponent Viviane Araujo. He referred to Araujo as a ‘dirty fuckin’ Brazilian’…

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Gilbert Burns isn’t happy with how UFC bantamweight Tony Kelley has handled the aftermath of his controversial remarks about Brazil.

While he cornered his teammate Andrea Lee at UFC Vegas 54 earlier this month, Kelley could be heard on the broadcast berating Lee’s opponent Viviane Araujo. He referred to Araujo as a ‘dirty fuckin’ Brazilian’ after an eye poke during the fight.

Kelley’s comments quickly drew the attention and criticism of many on social media, including Belal Muhammad. After his comments went viral, Kelley refused to apologize and invoked ‘cancel culture’ as the reason for people being offended by his remarks.

During a recent interview with The Underground, Burns said it’s important for Kelley to own up to his comments and move forward.

“It’s really hard to judge, you know. I hate to judge the guys at all. I don’t want to judge. But I think if you do make a mistake like that, don’t just come up out with these,” Burns said of Kelley. “Just come up and apologize. Be a man, man up. Like, you know what, I messed up, I said, I didn’t mean it. But I just think every time that you act and every time you do something wrong, bro we are humans, we gonna mess up… Be a man and apologize, that’s it.” (h/t SportsKeeda)

Kelley is far from the first UFC fighter to make controversial comments about Brazil. Two-time UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington infamously called Brazil a “dump” and referred to Brazilians as “filthy animals” in his post-fight speech after a win over Demian Maia.

Former UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen also berated Brazil during the leadup to his fights with Anderson Silva.

The UFC has yet to publicly comment on Kelley’s remarks and UFC President Dana White hasn’t spoken about the controversy. Kelley will fight Adrian Yanez at UFC Austin next month.

Do you agree with Gilbert Burns’ thoughts on Tony Kelley?

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Gilbert Burns Says Charles Oliveira Can Beat Islam Makhachev With His Superior Striking Skills

Gilbert BurnsUFC Welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns, believes that Charles Oliveira would beat Islam Makhachev due to his striking being better all around than Makhachev’s at this point. Oliveira has gone head to head with some of the best strikers in the lightweight division. The lightweight division has some of the most elite strikers in the […]

Gilbert Burns

UFC Welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns, believes that Charles Oliveira would beat Islam Makhachev due to his striking being better all around than Makhachev’s at this point.

Oliveira has gone head to head with some of the best strikers in the lightweight division. The lightweight division has some of the most elite strikers in the UFC and is one of the most dangerous divisions in the entire sport. Oliveira has had times in all his fights when he out struck Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Justin Gaethje in his recent title run and defenses.

Justin Gaethje is known for his striking ability, and Oliveira rocked him in the first 10 seconds of the fight and even knocked him down. Makhachev’s striking is no where close to any of the previous three fighters mentioned, but his ground game and wrestling is one on the best we have ever seen in UFC history.

Gilbert Burns believes that Charles Oliveira may have a hand up in a title fight against Islam Makhachev

“If I was the matchmaker, I would make Islam vs Oliveira for sure,” Burns said in an interview with Helen Yee. “That’s a fight that is very intriguing. I still believe Oliveira can get the win, because his striking. The pressure that he does and the jiu-jitsu. People say all the sambo and hey I got it, but Oliveira is huge for that division…. I think he’s on a different level.”

Burns is ready to see the fight between Oliveira, much like mostly everyone involved in the sport. The only thing that may be holding the UFC back from making the fight at the moment, is the fact that Makhachev has yet to beat a top five ranked fighter in the division. He has also only beaten one top 10 fighter, Dan Hooker on short notice.

Burns himself is coming off an amazing bout against Khamzat Chimaev, that could have easily went either way. Burns is one of the best strikers in his division and he pairs that with phenomenal jiu-jitsu, much like Oliveira does.