Gilbert Burns is wasting no time setting big goals in his new competitive chapter with UFC BJJ, laying out his plans for either a title push or a slate of high-profile grappling clashes.
Burns, who joined UFC BJJ after retiring from MMA in May following his fifth straight defeat and a 14-year professional career, says the organization’s jiu-jitsu offshoot has reignited his drive to compete. The former UFC welterweight title challenger and third-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is targeting both gold and marquee names.
"I always chased the UFC title, and why not chase that in UFC BJJ. It's still a UFC title," Burns said, outlining his ambitions. "I have those two options, the titles or the big fights. I think the big fights will be very entertaining. The big names that can grapple."
"I'm going to throw a couple names out there with all the respect," he continued, before listing Anthony Pettis, Demian Maia, Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz as matchups that interest him. "All these guys would be kind of fun to watch. That's kind of the route I want to take. If the title presented itself, or I get to fight for the title, 100 percent I'll take it. But I'm more interested in those big fights: Ben Henderson, RDA, those former champions and legends that still have a great jiu-jitsu. I'm still seeing those two routes, maybe with the MMA guys or a title. I'm back and forth. Let's see what makes sense for UFC BJJ. But I'm open to those two doors."
After stepping into MMA management and signing with UFC BJJ, Burns now appears fully focused on testing his elite grappling against other well-known names under the UFC BJJ banner.
