UFC Fight Night: Gilbert Burns vs Michael Morales

The newest UFC Apex Fight Night card is set to be headlined by a banger of a Welterweight bout. Most certainly, one of the better matchups put together for these Apex events is the showdown between Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales. On paper, it is a classic matchup between a veteran who is on his way down against a young and highly touted prospect who wants to earn his shot.

However, I believe that this is so much more. Burns is riding a three-fight losing streak and is struggling in recent fights, but I would never say that he is on his way down, as he was never on the ropes in those fights. On the other hand, Morales is an undefeated prospect, and Burns is going to be his biggest fight yet. This one could really go down either way, but let’s analyse everything in order and see what we could get.

Gilbert Burns Record (22-8)

The former title challenger, Gilber “Durinho” Burns, is both a veteran of the sport and the UFC. This will be his 24th fight in the octagon, where he has a 15-8 fight record. Unfortunately for him, the last three didn’t go his way, as he was defeated by Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, and most recently Sean Brady. In all three of those losses, he never looked bad. In fact, he was winning against Della Maddalena before Jack rose up and KOed him.

Burns is a tough veteran who holds wins against the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Stephen Thompson, and Tyron Woodley. And who could forget his fight versus Khamzat Chimaev, where both men beat the brakes off of each other. 

As you can see, Burns comes in with a wealth of experience. He has seen it all in the octagon and faced some of the toughest men in the Welterweight division. The current record may not be going his way, but his experience speaks volumes. If there is something that goes his way, it is his toughness, grappling/wrestling experience, and being in more five-round fights than Morales. 

This is why you can’t ever write off Durinho out of a fight, as he has the toughness and grit to stand with the best on any given day. However, he is 38 and is getting closer to the end of his career, with his prime already being long behind him.

Michael Morales Record (17-0)

One of the newest Dana White Contenders Series prospects, Michael Morales, has only broken into the Top 15 of the Welterweight division after his last fight. With an undefeated record of 17-0 (5-0 in the UFC), he managed to keep his record intact against Neil Magny, whom he ended with a TKO with punches in his last bout.

Before that, he defeated Jake Matthews thanks to a unanimous decision, and holds stoppage victories over Adam Fugitt and Trevin Giles. I agree that all of those names don’t sound too impressive, but the way Michael was able to put them away was definitely worthy of a shot and a main event.

Most would say that the UFC did him dirty by pitting him against Gilbert Burns, but if he is to succeed, he needs to be forged in fire. Durinho is a fighter that Morales has never seen before, let alone faced. He will have to give his all and endure the pressure attacks and the wild-style wrestling that Burns possesses. 

Luckily for Morales, he has talent, grit, and reach on his side. He is no pushover and is not going down without a fight. His eight-inch reach advantage over Burns might be the deciding factor in keeping Gilbert away from getting to him.

Gilbert Burns vs Michael Morales Prediction

This fight really looks like it could go either way. Each fighter comes in with their own tool set and skills, which could help them win the fight. Burns is an established grappler and BJJ expert, having taken almost all of his opponents down and even submitted and pummled a few. He has strong wrestling, but is no slouch on his feet as well.

His greatest advantage is his toughness, which can also bring his demise. Also, his chin was cracked against Jack Della Maddalena, after which some fighters are never the same. I am not saying this is the case with Durinho, but things become much different after one suffers a knockout.

Michael Morales’ advantage lies in his reach advantage. He is a lanky fighter, but one who also packs a lot of power in his punches. If he manages to get his hands on Burns and clip him just the right way, he could end up in the sleep dimension.

If Morales manages to stop Durinho’s takedowns and manages to control the fight on his feet, he could be looking at the greatest win in his career. And I do think so, this will happen, so I give the nod to Morales and him winning by decision. If I were much braver, I would even say that he can win by knockout as well.  

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