3 Ways Gilbert Burns Can Beat Kamaru Usman at UFC 258

The UFC is just hours from another pay-per-view card on which the main-event A-sider—in this case, welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman—is a significant favorite to beat his championship challenger.

This time around, that means No. 1 contender Gilbert Burns.

Make no mistake, Usman is where he is for a reason. He's an accomplished wrestler and a powerful striker, has seven KOs and a submission among his 17 career wins and hasn't lost a fight since 2013.

But Burns ought not to be summarily dismissed, as he's got some street cred, too.

A black belt in jiu-jitsu is evidence of world-class groundwork, and he'll arrive Saturday night on a roll, having strung together six straight wins since his last defeat in 2018.

The competitive contrast has certainly attracted the attention of the Bleacher Report combat sports team, and it led us to put together a brief list of ways in which the underdog could crash the title-belt party in Las Vegas.

Take a look at what we came up with and let us know your thoughts with a comment or two.

Get Nasty

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

It's hard to find a fan, a competitor or an announcer who doesn't like Gilbert Burns.

After all, the 34-year-old Brazilian is amiable, respectful and has a boyish smile that belies his occupation.

And that's in addition to the fact that he and Usman are longtime training colleagues and friends.

But for one night at least, he's got to change character. At least a little bit.

While a dignified posture during introductions and a gentlemanly glove touch at the bell are perfectly acceptable at UFC 258, his approach after those gestures ought to veer a mite closer to enmity.

Get rough in the tie-ups. Talk some trash in the clinches. Let a strike or two stray south of the beltline.

Live somewhere in the sweet spot between Mr. Congeniality and Colby Covington.

Simply put, Usman needs to know he's in there for 25 minutes with a guy who'll be OK with a friendship in post-fight tatters, so long as it means his pal's championship belt is coming home with him.

Get Punchy

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Gilbert Burns has all the credentials he needs in a ground fight.

But if you believe getting Usman to the floor is the only way he can possibly win Saturday, think again.

And while you're thinking, consider the thoughts of a man who knows both men as only a former foe can.

Tyron Woodley, from whom Usman won the title in 2019 and who Burns beat last May to secure his shot, considers Burns the better puncher of the two despite perceptions that the muscular Usman is the power guy.

Burns landed 156 strikes in 25 minutes against Woodley, including significant shots to the head and 27 more to the body. And though Usman surpassed those numbers, it was Burns who left a more visceral impact.

Burns has six KOs in 19 career wins, including a first-round dusting of Demian Maia last March.

"(Burns) has power," Woodley said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast (h/t MMA Junkie). "He has more power than Usman. He's a better grappler than Usman, jiu-jitsu wise, but I think the striking—he may not be better, but he does punch a little bit harder."

Get It Finished

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He's a good guy. He's an accomplished guy. He's a powerful guy.

All are perfectly viable Gilbert Burns descriptions.

But the three-time Performance of the Night bonus winner is, by merit, an animal on the ground.

He's submitted eight opponents in a 10-year career—making it his most frequent method of victory—and has done so in more than one way, prompting multiple tapouts from both armbars and rear-naked chokes.

Throw in the aforementioned six KOs from strikes and it's clear he's a guy who'll be happy with a quick night.

That, in fact, is the main competitive difference between him and his frequent training partner.

One man wants to bully you, Burns said. The other wants to get rid of you.

"Kamaru looks first to domination," he told MMA Fighting. "He wants to dominate you, put you in a bad spot, make you tired, wear you out and then beat you up. I'm different on that than Kamaru.

"I want to finish you, I want to beat you up, knock you out, submit you. If I cannot, if I think you're going to stay there, then I think of domination. But first, I'm thinking of finishing. That's what I'm looking for and I'm looking forward to being dangerous everywhere in that fight."