Gilbert Burns Says He is Planning to Finish Kamaru Usman at UFC 258

UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns spoke to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn ahead of his UFC 258 title fight opportunity. ‘Durinho’ will take on the undisputed champion Kamaru Usman in what promises to be an all-time classic showdown. Chiefly, the two were supposed to face off back at UFC 251 in July before Burns withdrew due to COVID-19.

Gilbert Burns was on a hot streak before his UFC 251 title fight opportunity was unfortunately pulled away. He had just beaten Tyron Woodley, in emphatic fashion and carved out a spot as the top contender. However, he’s been on the bench for a meaningful period and several other viable names have popped up.

Gilbert Burns breaks down the evolvement of his skillset

The Brazilian grappling phenom in Burns is still at the front of the line, despite his stint of inactivity. Gilbert Burns believes that he’s made changes to his game and tied-up any loose ends ahead of his battle against his former teammate. The two have trained with each other and it will be important to show new tools inside the cage.

“I had a little time to rest my body, get strong, put a little weight. Put a lot of different strategies, get better on this area, get better on this area, so I think I covered a lot of holes in my game and got better… I evolved so much.”

“The thing is, I’m becoming way more dangerous because I used to be only a jiu-jitsu guy and now I have couple more good weapons in my game. I believe I will be able to finish Kamaru, and I believe I’m a very bad match-up for any one of these guys.”

“I’m a very big threat for these guys, and that’s what I’m doing, just making sure everything is sharp leading into the fight. I’m healthy, I’m good and I know, given my 100%, I’m trouble for these guys.”

Kamaru Usman has set an exceedingly high standard, and fans believe that Burns is a truly viable threat. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has a style that has lent towards dominant ground control, and the canvas is where Burns thrives. However, the top-ranked Brazilian contender believes his striking has grown to the point where he’ll give Usman problems everywhere.

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