Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman are both aware that Burns can submit Usman at UFC 258, but only one of them believes this information is relevant.
Gilbert Burns is a world champion and second-degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. As such, there is no question that he can submit any man that he competes against at any moment. Kamaru Usman is no exception, and Burns believes that the welterweight champion is well aware of this (h/t MMA Junkie).
“I know I can submit him anytime, anywhere, in the bottom, in the top, anywhere,” Burns told reporters during a UFC 258 media day scrum. “He knows I can submit him. He might watch out for this because he knows. He said, ‘Oh people know who’s going to win,’ but he knows too, he knows.”
Kamaru Usman Responds To Gilbert Burns’ Remarks
One natural question to ask about Burns’ remarks is whether or not Burns is hinting that he has submitted Usman multiple times or training. It is against code to explicitly talk about private training sessions, so this may be Burns’ way of getting his point across subtly. Or perhaps Burns is making a general statement that Usman is aware of his jiu-jitsu pedigree.
When asked about these comments, Kamaru Usman conceded that Burns can submit him. But his overall retort can best be summed up as, “So what?” (transcribed by MMA News).
“I’m just better,” Usman said at the UFC 258 media day scrum. “I’ve said it before. When I won the title and I said it, I let the world know I might not be the best boxer in the game. I might not be the best jiu-jitsu player in the game. I might not be the best kickboxer or karate guy in the game, but when it comes to mixing it up, I’m the best in the world, and that’s why I’m the champion.
“Who can argue that Demian Maia is the most dangerous submission expert we’ve ever seen in the sport. And Demian took Gilbert down. Had him in trouble a little bit. How was that with me?” Usman continued. “So yeah, of course, he has those accolades. Yeah, in a submission match, could he potentially submit me? Yes, of course. So can Demian Maia. So can probably Sergio Moraes. But we all saw how those all went.”
In two days, we will see how things go between Usman and Burns as Burns attempts to bring home another world title to Brazil. To do so, he will need to be the first person to defeat Kamaru Usman in the UFC via submission or otherwise.
UFC 258 takes place this Saturday on pay per view from the UFC APEX and will stream exclusively on ESPN+.
Would you be surprised if Gilbert Burns submits Kamaru Usman at UFC 258 to become the new welterweight champion?
