Gilbert Burns issues cryptic message, says he's ready to pay an "expensive price" to clinch victory against Sean Brady at UFC Vegas 97
Gilbert Burns recognizes that he is nearing the end of his career but still believes he has what it takes to beat Sean Brady at UFC Vegas 97. With just hours remaining until the 30th fight of his professional MMA career, Burns' team released a video on his YouTube channel revealing his last-minute thoughts on the matchup.
Burns said on camera that he told Brady in their final face-off that he is willing to go into deep waters to get the win "at any cost." 'Durinho' explained his thought process, saying he believes his experience in previous tough fights gives him the edge over Brady.
Burns said:
"I want to let [Brady] know like, worst case scenario for me, it's going to be a very hard night for you... When it comes to fight night, my family [and] trainers know I'm going to leave everything in there to get the win at any cost. The price might come expensive but at any price, I'm willing to win [at UFC Vegas 97]... If I have to dig deep, I will."
Should the fight turn into a gritty brawl, Burns does have more experience in those situations. The 38-year-old has one Fight of the Night bonus to his name in his memorable war with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 with four Performance of the Night nods.
Conversely, Brady has dominated nearly every fight he has been in with his grappling. The one time he was not able to assert his game plan he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Belal Muhammad at UFC 280.
Watch the full video from Gilbert Burns on YouTube below:
Gilbert Burns' recent UFC career
As two of the best grapplers in the UFC welterweight division, many fans are intrigued by the matchup between former IBJJF world champion Gilbert Burns and Daniel Gracie-given Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Sean Brady.
Since challenging former teammate Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title at UFC 258, Burns has had fluctuating success, going 3-4 in his last seven fights. 'Durinho' enters UFC Vegas 97 on a two-fight skid, most recently losing to Jack Della Maddalena by third-round TKO at UFC 299.
While Burns has faced a wide range of opponents throughout his career, he has rarely faced fighters who could match his grappling on paper. The best grappler he faced, Demian Maia, he knocked out in the first round before either could implement any ground work.