Gilbert Burns thinks Demian Maia is making a mistake by taking a fight against him.
Burns (17-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) faces Maia (28-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC), this Saturday in the UFC on ESPN+ 28 co-main event in an intriguing style matchup between two of the most accomplished grapplers in the sport.
But Burns, who said he’s happy to go the ground if need be, thinks the difference in the fight will be his striking.
“I’m confident of victory,” Burns told MMA Junkie. “I think I have more than enough tools to defeat Demian. I feel my striking is more developed. I have faith in my high-level jiu-jitsu. I actively compete. It’s up to date. I see myself having a dominant win.
“It took a while for him to agree to face me, but he did eventually. I feel he’s very tough and experienced. This fight makes a lot of sense to me. A dominant win would place me in the top-6. It’s a high-risk fight for him. My jiu-jitsu is just as good and I do better in striking, so he’s taking a big risk.”
Training out of Hard Knocks 365 in Florida, Burns has won his last four in a row, and is 2-0 since moving up to 170 pounds from his previous home at lightweight. He sees the fight with former UFC welterweight title challenger and 31 UFC-fight veteran Maia as a changing of the guard.
“This is a clash of generations,” Burns said. “I belong to a newer breed. I know that he only plans to fight two times more. I see myself as continuing Demian’s jiu-jitsu legacy. Except my style is improved. We combine boxing and wrestling. He made his mark in the sport, but now is my turn.”
UFC on ESPN+ 28 takes place at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia. The card streams in its entirety on ESPN+.
