Gilbert Burns won’t be competing this Saturday in Orlando, Fla. but he does know when he’ll be fighting next.
According to a report from Combate, the 31-year-old has been rebooked against Lando Vannata (pictured) at UFC on FOX 29 which takes place April 14 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. That card is headlined by Justin Gaethje facing Dustin Poirier in a lightweight affair.
Burns Gets Groovy
Burns (12-2) was scheduled Canadian Olivier Aubin-Mercier in a lightweight contest Saturday at UFC on FOX 28. However just days before weigh-ins he was deemed medically ineligible to compete due to concerns over his weight cut. It was the first time the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt had been pulled from a card due to a weight cut issue.
Burns has amassed a 5-2 record in the octagon and in his last fight he became the first fighter to knock out Jason Saggo when he did so at UFC 215 back in September. The Boca Raton native has won seven of his 12-career wins by submission and has only gone to the judges’ scorecards three times in his career.
Vannata Needs A Victory
Vannata (9-2-1) competes for the first time since October, where he went to a split draw against Bobby Green at UFC 216. The Jackson/Winkeljohn standout made a memorable short-notice UFC debut in July 2016 when he stepped in for an injured Michael Chiesa against Tony Ferguson at UFC Fight Night 91. Despite losing the bout due to second-round brabo choke, “Groovy” unorthodox style posed problems for Ferguson early in the fight and made him an instant fan favorite. He followed that up with a highlight-reel spinning back kick knockout against John Makdessi at UFC 206, but hasn’t won since.
The 25-year-old is 1-2-1 in the UFC, also losing via unanimous decision to David Teymur last year at UFC 209.
With the addition of this lightweight matchup, here’s an updated look at the card.
- Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje
- Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown
- Wilson Reis vs. John Moraga
- Arjan Bhullar vs. Adam Wieczorek
- Dhiego Lima vs. Yushin Okami
- Michelle Waterson vs. Cortney Casey
- Tim Boetsch vs. Antônio Carlos Júnior
- Shana Dobson vs. Lauren Mueller
- Krzysztof Jotko vs. Brad Tavares
- Gilbert Burns vs. Lando Vannatta
Do you like this new matchup for Gilbert Burns? Or would you prefer they rebooked him against Olivier Aubin-Mercier? Comment below and tell us what you think.
