Athletes
Gilbert Burns: ‘I Envision Knocking Him Out’
Former Title Challenger Gilbert Burns Looks To Get Back To His Winning Ways By Defeating Sean Brady At UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Brady
Losing is never easy for any fighter. But sometimes what comes after the loss is the best thing that can happen. That’s how Gilbert Burns felt after his loss to Jack Della Maddalena earlier this year in Miami.
“The learning process was kind of cool,” Burns said. “It was great until it wasn’t. I made a big mistake, and he capitalized and got a nice finish. It's the freaking fight game, one little mistake and the fight is over. I learned that mistake and it was actually easy to swallow that one…I’m happy and I’m in a good place.”
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Burns finds himself, once again, in the main event spotlight and is searching for his first win since defeating Jorge Masvidal last April. Similar to his fight against Maddalena, the Brazilian is set to face another rising prospect in the welterweight division, Sean Brady. When I spoke to Burns earlier this week, you could feel the excitement he had in getting to face Brady.
“When they said Sean Brady, I said, let's do it,” Burns said. “I like it. I think he's a tough opponent. He has good jiu jitsu too, one of the guys that has the best jiu jitsu in the division. He's good, so let’s test and see who is better in the jiu jitsu. I'm excited. When I heard his name, I was like, this match is a good fight, not just for me, but for the fans and for the promotion.”
Brady stepped onto the UFC scene in 2019 and became an intriguing prospect for the division with his undefeated record, as he rattled off five consecutive wins inside the Octagon, defeating Michael Chiesa and Jake Matthews in the process.
His undefeated run came to an end as he faced Belal Muhammad in Abu Dhabi back in 2022. But the Philadelphia native got things back on track by submitting Kelvin Gastelum in Austin last December.
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Compared to Brady, Burns has much more experience, and by a lot. “Durinho” has been in the UFC since 2014, competing at both lightweight and welterweight. He has faced some of the best the sport has to offer, and he believes that will make a massive difference in his fight on Saturday.
“I fought Demian Maia, I’ve fought (Khamzat) Chimaev, I’ve fought Kamaru (Usman),” Burns said. I fought Jack (Della Maddalena), I’ve fought Wonderboy. I've fought the who's who. Sean is very good, but I just believe I'm a little bit better. I think that's going to be enough to shut him down, defend takedowns, connect with good hands and make him frustrated and eventually break him.”
Both men are high-level grapplers, so there is a high possibility that this fight could play out on the ground. Since 2019, Burns has secured 21 takedowns and has taken down 17 of his 22 UFC opponents. He has also earned five submission wins in the UFC. Even though everything points to this fight going to the ground, Burns has a different idea of how he thinks he will get the win.
“I envision knocking him out,” Burns said. “I think we're going to grapple a little bit, for sure. I think I might succeed on a takedown, he might succeed on a couple takedowns, but the fight is going to play out on the feet and whenever it connects, I might shut this guy out.”
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A new champion atop the throne makes things interesting for the rest of the division, especially since it’s someone that both Burns and Brady have history with. Burns faced Muhammad last year in May and lost by unanimous decision. Defeating Brady on Saturday could put the 38-year-old a few spots away from earning that rematch.
Burns said he was happy for Muhammad winning the belt and hopes the two cross paths again.
“I’m very happy the division is now moving,” Burns said. “Most of the time they win the belt and they kind of close the closet. They stay inside of the closet and want to hold that belt forever. But I think because he wants to make a name, he wants to make money now, to get the fans going, he is going to defend that belt. Now the division is going to start rolling and it's an exciting time to be in the welterweight division.”
Of course, Burns wants to get back to the top of the division, and get another crack at UFC gold, potentially getting a win back over Muhammad, as well. That all starts inside UFC APEX on Saturday against Brady.
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It’s been over a year since Burns has felt that winning feeling and he can’t wait to feel it again on Saturday night.
“That adrenaline dump when you win is the best feeling. That's why we like it. I am super confident, but not overconfident. I know it is going to be a tough fight. It could be a war. I don't think is going to be, but it could be. I'm ready if it goes there. I see myself knocking him out and getting my arm raised and feeling all those good feelings on Saturday.”
UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Brady took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 7, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
