Gilbert Burns stands at a pivotal moment in his career as he heads into UFC Vegas 106, having recently experienced his first three-fight losing streak over 13 years. He views his upcoming fight on Saturday against the highly-touted, undefeated 17-0 welterweight Michael Morales as the perfect opportunity to launch a dramatic, comeback story akin to a movie.
Burns is set to headline the UFC Fight Night card in Las Vegas. This bout was originally slated for UFC 315 in Canada but was rescheduled. “Durinho,” as Burns is known, revealed that the fight has faced multiple postponements across various locations before being finalized at the UFC APEX.
Despite the delays, Burns stated that the extra time proved beneficial, allowing him more opportunity to prepare and study his opponent.
Since early 2020, Burns has maintained one of the busiest schedules in the UFC, facing a demanding list of opponents including former champion Kamaru Usman and top contenders like Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley, Stephen Thompson, Khamzat Chimaev, Jorge Masvidal, Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, and Sean Brady. During this intense period, the jiu-jitsu world champion holds a 5-5 record. His recent setbacks prompted difficult conversations about his career.
After suffering a decision loss to Sean Brady in September 2024, Burns was contacted by jiu-jitsu veteran Vagner Rocha. Rocha, who had previously stopped cornering fighters after witnessing tough knockout losses, including ones involving Burns and Marlon Moraes, offered critical feedback.
Burns described Rocha`s comments as brutally honest and direct, delivering necessary truths that were challenging to hear. Rocha discussed various aspects, including training, potential, past performance, missed actions, and injuries. This conversation took place late last year, after which Rocha expressed willingness to work with Burns again, contingent on full commitment from both sides. This partnership has significantly influenced Burns` training, leading to a greater focus on jiu-jitsu.
The discussion with Rocha spurred numerous internal adjustments, particularly concerning his coaching team, helping Burns process a loss that left him with lingering frustration.
Reflecting on the fight against Brady, Burns admitted that he struggled with weight cutting and recovery, resulting in a fight performance lacking energy. He felt it wasn`t his typical self. He contrasted this experience with other losses, such as the one against Belal Muhammad due to injury or against Jack Della Maddalena where he was winning before a knockout, viewing those as fixable mistakes or unfortunate events. The Brady loss, however, felt different, making significant changes necessary not just for fight strategy but for ensuring he could perform at his best level.
For his preparation camp, Burns enlisted Lucas Catta Preta, cousin of fighter Vicente Luque, as his nutritionist. Henry Hooft led the training camp, with scouting support from Daniel Mendes in Brazil. Additionally, training with rangy fighters like Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry has bolstered Burns` confidence for the scheduled 25-minute bout against Morales.
Burns highlighted the importance of fighting intelligently and adhering to their planned strategy against Morales, whom he described as very athletic, strong, explosive, and unusually long for the welterweight division, possessing one of the longest reaches. He expects Morales to be highly dangerous in the initial rounds, suggesting that his athleticism, reflexes, and speed sometimes compensate for technique. Burns` approach aims to exhaust Morales (“drown him”) to neutralize his explosiveness, speed, and athleticism, by utilizing movement, takedowns, control, strong defense, and timely attacks. He believes leveraging his experience is the key to victory.
A fourth consecutive loss would be difficult to overlook, especially as he approaches 39, but Burns remains confident that his position in the UFC is secure, regardless of the outcome. Nonetheless, he approaches UFC Vegas 106 fully expecting to win. His recent competitive showing against Jack Della Maddalena, who recently captured the welterweight belt in Montreal, reinforces Burns` belief that he is still very close to the division`s top tier and only needs minor adjustments.
Burns sees the fight against Morales as the crucial step needed to return to the win column. While acknowledging a win might not drastically improve his ranking immediately, he pointed out how fighters he`s faced, like Della Maddalena, quickly moved into title contention after beating him. Despite facing a tough opponent after a loss, Burns expressed confidence in his ability to secure the victory, recognizing that the fight presents a significant risk and opportunity for both fighters – him seeking redemption and Morales aiming to climb the rankings.
He believes he is just two wins away from being back in the title picture. Burns emphasized that his recent losses have been exclusively to elite opponents: a former champion (Kamaru Usman), a fighter competing for the belt (Khamzat Chimaev), two who became champions (Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena), and the current top contender (Sean Brady). He feels the UFC respects his willingness to fight anyone. He stressed the need to get back on the winning track and trust the adjustments he`s implemented, stating that the top is not far off. Burns is confident that a solid win over Morales will reignite his title aspirations, and one more significant victory after that would truly feel “like a movie.” He visualizes himself as champion and is determined to make that cinematic vision a reality.
