Gilbert Burns explains why he would put all of his money on Charles Oliveira to beat Islam Makhachev

UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns has explained why he believes Charles Oliveira has what it takes to defeat Islam Makhachev.

While he may only just be coming off of the win over Justin Gaethje, all eyes are on Charles Oliveira to see what his next move is going to be. The latest we’ve heard is that he’ll take some time off before facing the winner of Islam Makhachev vs Beneil Dariush later this year, a contest that has been in the works for a long time now and was initially supposed to go down a few months back.

The popular opinion is that Oliveira vs Makhachev is the fight to make and according to Gilbert Burns, that’s a pretty winnable fight for Oliveira, as he noted when talking about his fellow Brazilian’s grappling ability.

“It’s so good, so technical, so beautiful,” Burns said. “You see the techniques, whenever you see the techniques, you stop and look and the details are so sharp, the momentum.”

“Islam is a high-level grappler as well,” Burns said. “I heard from Luke Rockhold and a few other guys as well that he’s pretty good. I’m still going to put all my money on Oliveira. I think Oliveira got it.”

“I think he can (submit him) because of the striking, because of the combination,” Burns explained. “The grappling and ground and pound from Islam is better than Oliveira’s, but Oliveira with the combined striking, the clinch, and the submission attempts, it’s different. I think that’s what makes him the best.

“Not just the jiu-jitsu. It’s the length (too). Those guys that are skinny and super bony, any kick, people have no idea, any kick that he throws hurts and Oliveira kicks a lot. You saw what Justin said after the fight? First thing he said after he stood up: ‘You hit hard as f*ck.’ And for Justin to say that, he was in the war with Michael Chandler and he said, ‘Bro, you hit so hard.’ So that guy hits hard, he’s bony with crazy grappling, with crazy clinch. I have Oliveira all day.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

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