Preview: UFC Fight Night on ESPN – Woodley vs Burns
Tonight the UFC returns with another fight card that will air on ESPN. Amid all the adjustments due to COVID-19, the UFC has tried to make sure that they can still produce fights despite not having fans in attendance and locations needing to be changed. Tonight’s card is no different as the original bout was supposed to take place across the pond in London on May 23rd.
No fear, the UFC has adjusted well through all the humps and hurdles and will allow us to sit back and enjoy seeing a clash of two titans in the Octagon. Gilbert Burns is a Brazillian MMA fighter with a record of 18 wins (6 by KO 8 by submission) and three losses. He has won three Performance of Night bonuses and is riding a five-fight win streak heading into tonight’s contest. His latest win took place back in March against Demian Maia, who he disposed of within one round.
The 33-year-old fighter is looking at not only a step up in competition but to show that he is one name in the deeply talented Welterweight division for whom to keep an eye out. Burns is a high-level Brazillian Jiu-jitsu fighter with multiple world grappling titles, so if this fight were to head to the mat, Burns would be in his element. Grappling is not all of Burns’ fighting style as he has shown a decent stand-up technique paired with finishing power.
Speaking of power, Tyron Woodley (19 wins 7 by KO 5 by submission 4l loses) is returning to the Octagon over a year since his last showing.
Woodley, the former Welterweight Champion, lost his title in March of 2019 to current champ Kamaru Usman by decision, and after taking time to recover from injuries, he is ready to start his climb back to a title shot.
Before his loss, the former champ was 6-0-1 with three successful title defenses. Widely considered one of the hardest punchers in all of MMA, the right hand Woodley throws is one of the most lethal weapons in the sport. The former two-time All American wrestler from Missouri has the power to put anyone down and has shown the ability to go the full five rounds if need be. Outside of his recent loss, he hasn’t been one to be taken down quickly.
This should be an intriguing matchup as both fighters look to make their mark and move one step closer to challenging for the title. For Woodley, at 38 years old, does he still have enough tread on the tires to stand tall over the division again? At 33, is it Burns’ time to ascend and show there’s a new sheriff in town?
It all goes down in Las Vegas at the UFC APEX Center, where these two warriors will collide and do battle tonight on ESPN.
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-Kalani Lua – Franchise Sports Media
Twitter @klua11
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