UFC Fight Night 242 is set to be a barnburner. Gilbert Burns will square off against Sean Brady in the main event of the evening. The matchup has fans buzzing, and former UFC middleweight champ Robert Whittaker has a surprising prediction.
Whittaker weighed in on this weekend’s main event on his MMArcade Podcast. He’s putting his chips on Gilbert Burns despite Brady being the favorite. And Whittaker has a reason for backing the underdog.
“He’s [Burns] been better than we saw in that fight so I’m curious to see how that lines up against Brady who historically, has been pretty good, but Gilbert hits like a truck. I think Gilbert Burns is one of the best MMA grapplers of all time, he’s phenomenal at grappling, period,” said Whittaker.
Burns, a fan favorite, is looking to break a recent two-fight slump. He’s coming off losses to Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. Despite these setbacks, he has remained a force in the welterweight division.
On the other side, Brady is also no stranger to adversity. He faced Muhammad back in October 2022, only to suffer a brutal defeat. However, he bounced back with a solid win over Kelvin Gastelum in December 2023. So, both fighters have had their fair share of ups and downs.
Gilbert Burns Reveals He Will Gladly Fight His Teammates
‘Durinho’ isn’t shy about his approach to fighting teammates. The UFC welterweight recently shared his no-nonsense attitude towards fighting against friends and training partners, and it’s a bold stance.
Burns is gearing up to fight Sean Brady at UFC Fight Night 242. He is looking further ahead despite the looming challenge. He’s already mapping out his path back to the title picture, including potentially facing some of his current and former training partners.
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“The best scenario would be to beat Sean Brady, finish it quick, beat Kamaru, and beat whoever is the champion, Shavkat (Rakhmonov), I don’t care,” said Burns via Beleive You Me podcast.
Burns has been in the spotlight before for facing his teammates. He most notably challenged Kill Cliff FC teammate Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title in 2021. The buildup was awkward, and tensions were high, but Burns and Usman managed to rekindle their friendship after Usman’s victory.
Gilbert Burns’ willingness to fight teammates, if necessary, underscores his dedication. It’s all part of the business, and Burns is ready to mix friendship with fierce competition. He is proving that in the world of MMA, loyalty sometimes means fighting your friends.
Also Read: Gilbert Burns on Volkan Oezdemir’s USA Ban: The Inside Story Ahead of UFC Saudi Arabia
