One-time UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns faces unfamiliar territory on Saturday, keen to snap a two-fight losing streak for the first time vs. #8 ranked contender Sean Brady in their UFC Vegas 97 main event. 38 and in the final stages of his fighting career, Durinho has some unfinished business.
Burns: Time to prove that I still belong at the top
#6 ranked Gilbert Burns vs. #8 Sean Brady at Apex, UFC Vegas 97 headliner
Unofficial welterweight title eliminator between two contrasting contenders
Burns bullish after defeats, Brady back in win column following first career loss
HEALTHY, fully recovered and pressure off his shoulders, Gilbert Burns is staring down the possibility that his title contending status could be over by Sunday morning.
He wouldn’t want that eventuality but if that’s the case, the 12-year veteran is at peace with it. During today’s media day, the Brazilian told reporters exactly why:
“The mindset that I’m getting right now is like my debut. I didn’t care, just want to go there, not overthinking. There’s always pressure, but I’m trying to let that aside and kind of like my debut, go in there and show everyone how good I am.”
Burns looked visibly compromised but still made it to the final horn at UFC 288 in his five-round title eliminator against now-champion Belal Muhammad and after ten months out, he was winning – until he wasn’t – against another surging contender in Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299, suffering a dramatic R3 KO defeat.
Brady believes he’d be two wins away from a title shot with an impressive display against former challenger Burns, mindful to have perspective, win or lose, at a stage in his career where another loss will derail his trajectory after an active stretch rewarded him with opportunities galore atop a welterweight division again in flux.
“I’m always positive and I’m happy. If I fight good and win, I celebrate Saturday night – get some nice food with the team, but Sunday’s another day – that victory carries for maybe four days, so I celebrate not as crazy when I win but don’t go too crazy on myself if I lose.
A win or loss doesn’t change who I am, I want to win but it’s not like everything is done now [if beaten].”
- All the good vibes: Burns on his mindset, regardless of the result
Brady, who lost to Belal in much different fashion seven months earlier, rebounded with a $50,000 performance of the night bonus after a third-round submission (kimura) win over longtime contender Kelvin Gastelum last December.
The Philadelphia native was highly-regarded and riding a five-fight win streak when he ran into an inspired Muhammad performance in Abu Dhabi, enthused by working alongside retired Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov and the former lightweight champion’s team, something the 170lb titleholder has maintained since.
A loss isn’t the end of the world though, especially if you’re able to correct those technical mistakes and develop from the experience. This will be the biggest test, his first main event and one where the onus is on him to leave no doubt over 25 minutes.
The 31-year-old has a lot of respect for Burns, a fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, but fancies his chances of success against a decorated world champion in that discipline, should their exchanges get to the ground in their five-round headliner.
“Obviously he’s won [world championships] and everything, but that was a long time ago and in the gi. Gi and no-gi is completely different, MMA jiu-jitsu aswell. I think he’s got great submissions, I’m sure he’s great on bottom [position], but definitely think I have better jiu-jitsu and am looking to test it.”
BRADY: “He had a great fight going with Jack until it didn’t go his way, I think it’s my first true veteran fight that I’m going to get to test myself against somebody who’s been there, done that.”
BURNS: “I’m super excited to be back there and finish this guy – prove to me, all the critics, I belong at the top and still have one more title run left in me. There’s always noise, a chip on the shoulder that we’ve got to go over there and show up.”
UFC Vegas 97 card, is as follows
Main card
Welterweight main event: Gilbert Burns [6] vs. Sean Brady [8]
Women’s Flyweight: Jessica Andrade [6] vs. Natalia Silva [8]
Featherweight: Steve Garcia vs. Kyle Nelson
Bantamweight: Matt Schnell [11, flyweight] vs. Cody Durden [15, fly]
Lightweight: Trevor Peek vs. Yanal Ashmouz
Lightweight: Rong Zhu vs. Chris Padilla
Prelims
Featherweight: Isaac Dulgarian vs. Brendon Marotte
Flyweight: Felipe dos Santos vs. Andre Lima
Featherweight: Yi Zha vs. Gabriel Santos
Women’s Strawweight: Jaqueline Amorim vs. Vanessa Demopoulos
Middleweight: Andre Petroski vs. Dylan Budka
Featherweight: Zygimantas Ramaska vs. Nathan Fletcher
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
Mo and Sports 