Gilbert Burns is a nightmare matchup for Kamaru Usman (Opinion)
Kamaru Usman has been on a path of domination ever since his debut in UFC. He has shown tremendous determination and has shown his incredible skillsets inside the octagon as he made his way to the top of the UFC Welterweight division.
He shocked the world when he dominated the former champion, Tyron Woodley, for five straight rounds.
Tyron Woodley has been widely considered as one of the greatest welterweights of all time. But Kamaru Usman showed no respect to the credentials of Woodley and handed him a humiliating defeat.
Kamaru Usman went on to defend his title against Colby Covington, someone many believed to be the kryptonite for the welterweight champion.
Covington has phenomenal wrestling skills, high pace and volume and an impressive cardio. However, in the end, Kamaru Usman got his hands raised. It seemed that there is no contender left who can overcome the wrestling and strength of Kamaru Usman.
However, the perception of the fans changed when Gilbert Burns took on Tyron Woodley. Burns had some impressive victories in his resume before the Woodley fight with big wins over Demian Maia and Gunner Nelson. However, the fight against Woodley presented a golden opportunity to Gilbert Burns to show the world how good he really is.
Gilbert Burns outclassed Woodley in every department. He out grappled him, took him down on many occasions, and showed no respect to Woodley's power or striking.
Besides that, Burns scored a huge knockdown in the first round against Woodley. How many fighters have been able to knock Woodley down?
Kamaru Usman could not do it in five rounds. That just goes to show the striking ability and power Burns possess.
Gilbert Burns' win over Woodley seemed even better Usman's win over the former Welterweight Champion.
After watching both the fights of Woodley, it's clear that backing Woodley against the cage troubles him. Both Usman and Burns did the same and Woodley's gameplan fell apart on both occasions.
However, Kamaru Usman primarily took Tyron Woodley down or leaned on him against the cage and inflicted damage on the former champion. On the other hand, Burns beat Woodley in the striking department. He looked more fluid than Woodley with his movements and faints, and he showcased brutal power in his striking.
Can Gilbert Burns dominate Kamaru Usman?
Gilbert Burns is a more well-round fighter than Kamaru Usman. He has impressive credentials in Jiu-Jitsu. So, it's not going to be easy for Usman to take Burns down and keep him on the ground. Burns will be able to get back up and be offensive on the ground with his submissions.
In the striking department, Burns has a clear advantage. Usman won a striking battle against Colby Covington. But there was a huge power difference between Covington and Usman. Covington was landing more strikes, but Usman was landing the more impactful ones. However, Burns is way stronger than Covington in striking.
However, it can not be said that Burns is going to dominate Usman. It will be interesting to see the ground battle between these two Welterweight elites. If Usman can overpower Burns on the ground, then it's going to be another victory for the Welterweight champion.
However, if Burns can defend himself on the ground and strike with Usman for the majority of the fight then it's going to be a nightmare for the UFC Welterweight Champion.