Burns: If You Think I Looked Great Against Woodley, Wait Till UFC 258

Gilbert Burns believes there are significant differences between himself and UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

We are three days away from Gilbert Burns’ attempt to unseat Kamaru Usman as the 170-lb kingpin in the UFC, and he could not be more ready. Burns has been a buzzsaw since moving up to welterweight, meeting close to zero effective resistance from his opponents as he advanced all the way to Saturday’s upcoming title shot against Usman.

In his most recent fight, Gilbert Burns dominated Tyron Woodley with a shutout unanimous decision. As amazing as Burns looked in this fight, the Brazilian vows that we haven’t seen anything yet.

“If people like the way I looked against Woodley, they have no idea how I’m going to show up now,” Burns told MMA Fighting. “I’m way faster, stronger, quicker, the cardio’s right there, jiu-jitsu’s been improving so much, wrestling, striking, I cannot wait. I think I’m dangerous everywhere and I can finish the fight everywhere.

“On bottom, on top, on my feet, with my hands, with my knees, with my kicks and even if you’ve got to go to a decision, we’ll go to a decision but every time I step into the octagon, I don’t look to a decision. I look for the finish. If I cannot finish, then I look for domination.”

Gilbert Burns Explains The Difference Between Him & Usman

Coincidentally, both Burns and Usman had the same scorecard against Tyron Woodley: 50-45, 50-44, 50-44 in complete dominations. Usman has been known for displaying dominance over his opponents, with the champion very rarely losing a round in any of his fights. However, as dominant as Usman has been, he does not have too many finishes on his UFC résumé, and Burns believes it’s because his former teammate lacks the same killer mentality that he possesses.

“That’s the difference between me and Kamaru,” Burns explained. “Kamaru looks first to domination. He wants to dominate you, put you in a bad spot, make you tired, wear you out and then beat you up. I’m different on that than Kamaru.

“I want to finish you, I want to beat you up, knock you out, submit you. If I cannot, if I think you’re going to stay there, then I think of domination. But first, I’m thinking of finishing. That’s what I’m looking for and I’m looking forward to being dangerous everywhere in that fight.”

If Gilbert Burns defeats, let alone finishes Kamaru Usman at UFC 258, he’ll be the first man in the promotion to do so. The confidence that Durinho is displaying in the days ahead of this showdown makes you believe that he may have the best chance out of anyone on the welterweight roster to get it done.

UFC 258 takes place this Saturday on pay per view from the UFC APEX and will stream exclusively on ESPN+.

What do you think Gilbert Burns’ chances are of finishing Kamaru Usman at UFC 258?