Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev appears to be the fight the UFC is looking to book next in the lightweight division. Gilbert Burns knows the Brazilian lightweight very well and likes his game a lot.
Gilbert Burns has a very high-level grappling game and has a good eye for others with exceptional skills. The UFC welterweight really likes Charles Oliveira's grappling compared to Islam Makhachev.
“It’s so good, so technical, so beautiful,” UFC welterweight Burns told MMA Junkie. “You see the techniques, whenever you see the techniques, you stop and look and the details are so sharp, the momentum.
“The guillotine, he almost got a guillotine and then whenever he knocked Justin down he went to a scramble and then a reversed triangle – almost got it. Whenever he saw he was losing the position, he was already on the back. And I know Justin Gaethje put in a lot of work. He brought in Jorge Santiago, who’s one of Kamaru (Usman)’s trainers. He’s very high level. I trained with Jorge a couple of times. I know Jorge put a tremendous time working with Justin and the guy put him out in one minute.
“He did the same thing with Dustin Poirier; almost broke Tony Ferguson’s arm, no one does Tony like that. Tony lost a couple of times, but not on the grappling. The guy is super technical, a lot of submissions – guillotines, leg locks, armbars. Whenever he takes your back, he’s so long, that that body triangle. He’s on a different level.”
Gilbert Burns heard good things about Islam Makhachev but is still going with Charles Oliveira. The Russian UFC fighter had good things said about him by Luke Rockhold.
“Islam is a high-level grappler as well,” Burns said. “I heard from Luke Rockhold and a few other guys as well that he’s pretty good. I’m still going to put all my money on Oliveira. I think Oliveira got it.”
The UFC welterweight finished off with his prediction for the fight. Charles Oliveira has the right game to give Islam Makhachev a rare loss.
“I think he can (submit him) because of the striking, because of the combination,” Burns explained. “The grappling and ground and pound from Islam is better than Oliveira’s, but Oliveira with the combined striking, the clinch, and the submission attempts, it’s different. I think that’s what makes him the best.
“Not just the jiu-jitsu. It’s the length (too). Those guys that are skinny and super bony, any kick, people have no idea, any kick that he throws hurts and Oliveira kicks a lot. You saw what Justin said after the fight? First thing he said after he stood up: ‘You hit hard as f*ck.’ And for Justin to say that, he was in the war with Michael Chandler and he said, ‘Bro, you hit so hard.’ So that guy hits hard, he’s bony with crazy grappling, with crazy clinch. I have Oliveira all day.”
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