Welterweight has a new contender. The rise of Gilbert Burns is incredible. He defeated Tyron Woodley in Las Vegas to stretch his win streak to four. Now he finds himself on the cusp of a title shot. In sum, it’s been a phenomenal journey for the Brazilian who has stayed ready all through this health crisis.
Meanwhile, this fight at the UFC Apex was a crushing defeat for Woodley. It’s back-to-back losses for him now after losing to champion Kamaru Usman. The manner in which he lost both fights suggests that the end is near for ‘T-Wood.’ His head doesn’t look in the game as he got dominated again.
Two of the judges scored this fight 50-44 which shows just how tough it was for Woodley. On the other hand, fortune may even favor Burns in the hunt for the title. He’s also teammates with Usman but has no issue fighting him.
First blood drawn by @GilbertDurinho, knocking down Tyron Woodley 😯 #UFCVegas pic.twitter.com/Ezov4wym99
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 31, 2020
Beatdown
Looking at Burns it’s impossible to understand how he ever fought at lightweight. The man is a beast. He came out guns blazing from the start, using his speed to catch Woodley and drop him. After that, he followed up with hammer-fists but Woodley survived. When he rose to his feet there was a massive bloody gash above his left eye.
It was a dream start for Burns with two of the judges scoring the first round 10-8. In the second he was even able to take Woodley down, only the second fighter after Usman to achieve this. His speed and movement were too much for Woodley who looked lost against the fence.
🇧🇷 @GilbertDurinho with a flurry of strikes in RD 4! #UFCVegas pic.twitter.com/qBfeAtePL7
— UFC (@ufc) May 31, 2020
Dominant
The former champion did show flashes but they were few and far between. Burns became more technical after Woodley smashed him with a fierce right hand. That power is ferocious but if you know that’s what is coming then you can adapt to it. Woodley didn’t show enough variety in his attacks as he allowed Burns to dictate the pace.
He dropped the former champ with a flurry of hooks in round four but Woodley survived again. Meanwhile, Burns lit up Woodley’s leg with chopping kicks for the entire fight. In short, it was a savage display of efficiency from a fighter whose name was made in the world of BJJ.
Late in the fight, @GilbertDurinho rocks and drops Tyron Woodley again 😬 #UFCVegas pic.twitter.com/ncnG1pg9BO
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 31, 2020
Champion
Now Burns wants to jump the queue and get a title shot. On paper, Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards are ahead of him. But for whatever reasons Masvidal and Usman can’t get a deal done. Meanwhile, Edwards can’t get out of England right now.
“I trained so hard for this fight, I knew I could do it. I was calling these guys out for a reason,” said Burns following the biggest win of his career. “That was a former champion right there and you saw a dominant performance. I love the champ. He’s my training partner, Kamaru Usman, but give me a shot. I want to fight for the title. A lot of respect and love for you (Usman), but I think I’m next. I’m next. I’m right there.”
