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Jorge Masvidal hasn't set foot inside the octagon since March last year. The 'BMF' champion enjoyed one of the fastest rises to stardom ever witnessed in UFC history. His historic three-fight win streak began with a thunderous knockout win against former welterweight title-challenger Darren Till.
He subsequently faced heated rival Ben Askren at UFC 238 and captured a headline-stealing win by flatlining 'Funky' with a flying knee. It was the fastest knockout in UFC history and launched 'Gamebred' into a stratosphere of superstardom. He cemented his run with a definitive win against Nate Diaz.
Masvidal became the first man in, at the time, six years to finish Diaz inside the octagon. In doing so, he captured the symbolic 'BMF' title. Unfortunately, his success came to a screeching halt. He suffered back-to-back losses in title fights against Kamaru Usman before losing a grudge match to Colby Covington.
Despite the UFC's best attempts to lure him back to the cage, Jorge Masvidal refused. Finally, however, he accepted the long-rumored matchup with Gilbert Burns. At UFC 287, 'Gamebred' will make his return against a foe he is well-equipped to defeat, and this list details the five reasons why.
#5. Jorge Masvidal's knockout power
Both Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns possess lethal punching power in their fists. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist is not a natural striker but has since refined his skill-set in a manner that allows him to make use of his heavy hands. Unfortunately, 'Durinho' is a well-known glass cannon.
While his mental resilience sometimes compensates for his questionable chin, he is a fighter who is often badly hurt during certain striking exchanges. As a lightweight, he was KO'd by Dan Hooker, who isn't known for possessing immense knockout power. Khamzat Chimaev also hurt him several times.
His one title fight ended in definitive failure after he suffered a knockout at Kamaru Usman's hands. Besides Tyron Woodley, 'Durinho' always struggles against powerful punchers. This does not bode well for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist against 'Gamebred'.
Jorge Masvidal possesses a breadth of knockout power. Chinny opponents like Gilbert Burns will struggle against 'Gamebred', who hurt the hyper-durable Nate Diaz several times.
#4. Jorge Masvidal's defensive grappling is better than it's given credit for
Gilbert Burns is a better and more credentialed grappler than Jorge Masvidal. The former one-time title challenger is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist with a highly successful background in competitive BJJ. Unfortunately, this hasn't always translated well into MMA.
In MMA, 'Durinho's' grappling is more focused on positional dominance. He is not a submission-hunter like Charles Oliveira. That's why he's secured such a lower percentage of submission wins in the UFC than most expect of him. Meanwhile, Jorge Masvidal is an exceptional defensive grappler.
His struggles against Colby Covington were more due to wilting against his former friend's high-octane pace. In 51 fights, 'Gamebred' has only lost twice via submission. His last submission loss happened 14 years ago. Even Demian Maia, one of the greatest grapplers in UFC history, praised Jorge Masvidal's BJJ.
He described him as one of the best defensive grapplers he's ever encountered. If Maia failed to submit Masvidal, surely Burns will struggle to do the same. It's the only area in which Burns has a decided advantage. If he can't submit Masvidal, what other recourse does he have?
#3. Jorge Masvidal's chin and recovery
While Gilbert Burns doesn't have the best chin in the world, Jorge Masvidal is renowned for his toughness. The 'BMF' champion has only been knocked out twice in 51 fights. But it's not only his low percentage of knockout losses, it's also the fact that 'Gamebred' often recovers with supernatural quickness after being hurt.
For example, when he faced Darren Till on the latter's home soil, 'Gamebred' was dropped in the first round by a straight left. Despite being rocked and knocked down, he sprang right back to his feet. This has been a trend throughout the 'BMF' champion's career.
If Gilbert Burns manages to rock him during their bout, there's a likely chance that Jorge Masvidal will recover. Furthermore, 'Durinho' doesn't have the best gas tank. Meanwhile, 'Gamebred' has serviceable cardio and was able to match Nate Diaz's pace. Only Colby Covington has been able to make him gasp for air.
#2. Gilbert Burns won't have his usual speed advantage
One advantage that fighters who move to heavier weight classes enjoy is speed. Often-times, they're faster than their larger and more cumbersome opponents. This natural speed advantage renders them more difficult to contend with in kickboxing exchanges.
Gilbert Burns has used this advantage to great effect. His speed renders him capable of countering slick punchers by battering them with looping punches over the top of their jabs. Unfortunately, against Jorge Masvidal, he won't have that advantage.
'Gamebred' is a former lightweight himself. He possesses great speed in the striking department. Without a fundamental speed advantage over him, Burns will be facing an opponent who can closely match him in terms of speed, which will work against him.
#1. Jorge Masvidal's striking matches up well with Gilbert Burns' style
Jorge Masvidal is a highly technical striker with some of the best boxing skills in the UFC. He is an adept stance-switcher who punishes foes with shifting combinations once they adapt to a particular alignment from one of his stances. He also makes significant use of hard switch kicks to the body.
Meanwhile, Gilbert Burns is a heavy-handed power-puncher who often counters jabs by throwing hooks and looping punches over the top. Furthermore, he makes liberal use of naked low kicks due to his natural power in all limbs. Unfortunately, his style creates numerous holes in his defensive striking.
One of the reasons Kamaru Usman defeated him was by switching stances after 'Durinho' tried to counter his jab. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' instead used a southpaw jab while his foe tried to kick his lead leg. This is similar to how 'Gamebred' defeated Darren Till.
He switched stances to change the alignment of Till's counters and create openings for the KO blow. Additionally, 'Durinho's' habit of throwing naked low kicks means he's always at risk of being countered while he's standing on one leg, which opens him up to Masvidal's shifting combinations.
