UFC veteran Gilbert Burns is eager to make a comeback as he prepares to face undefeated rising star Michael Morales.
The 39-year-old has lost three straight fights for the first time in his 13-year career, but he views Saturday’s clash with the hyped 17-0 welterweight as the perfect opportunity to kickstart an epic return to form.
Burns has faced some of the toughest opponents in the game, challenging then-champion Kamaru Usman and going toe-to-toe with the likes of Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley, Stephen Thompson, Khamzat Chimaev, Jorge Masvidal, Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, and Sean Brady. The jiu-jitsu world champion went 5-5 during that stretch, but his recent skid prompted some serious reflection and adjustments in his training.
After his loss to Sean Brady, Burns revamped his regimen. He brought in Lucas Catta Preta—Vicente Luque’s cousin—as his nutritionist and had Henry Hooft lead his camp, with additional scouting support from Daniel Mendes in Brazil. Training with rangy fighters like Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry has also added to his preparation. Now, Burns says he feels “very confident” heading into his 25-minute showdown with Morales.
“I have to be smart and follow the strategy we’ve planned because he’s a very athletic guy,” Burns said. “I can see he’s strong, very explosive, too lengthy for the division. He has one of the longest reaches in the division. He’ll be very dangerous early. I think sometimes he doesn’t win with technique but with reflexes and speed. We have to drown him—take away that explosiveness, speed, and athleticism. We’ll use our movement, takedowns, control, solid defense, and sharp attacks. That’s the plan. I think that’s the path to victory. I’ll need to use all my experience to beat this guy.”
Despite suffering four consecutive losses, Burns remains confident about his upcoming bout. His recent performance against current welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena proves that his skills remain razor-sharp.
“This is the fight to get back on the winning track,” Burns said. “I know it won’t move me up in the rankings, but that doesn’t matter. [Della Maddalena] became top 4 after beating me and went on to win the belt. I’m coming off a loss there’s not much I can do about that. I know [Morales is] tough, but I know I can beat him. I have confidence. I believe I will beat him. But it’s a risk for both of us, me trying to get back on track, and him trying to keep climbing.”
“I believe I’m two wins away from being in the mix,” he continued. “I haven’t lost to jabronis, I lost to Kamaru, a champion. I lost to Chimaev, who’s fighting for the belt. I lost to Belal, who became champion. I lost to Jack, who became champion. To Sean Brady, who’s now the No. 1 contender. I fight everybody. I think the UFC respects that. I’m on the path. I just need to get back to winning and believe in the adjustments I’ve made. It’s not far. A solid win over Morales puts me back in the game. One more big victory, and it’s going to be like a movie, brother. Imagine that—Durinho, champion—that’s a movie. It’s on me to believe and turn that movie into
