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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 13: (L-R) Gilbert Burns of Brazil punches Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 258 event at UFC APEX on February 13, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 13: (L-R) Gilbert Burns of Brazil punches Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 258 event at UFC APEX on February 13, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is gearing up to face Stephen Thompson in a co-main event clash at UFC 264. A blockbuster trilogy clash between Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier headlines the event on July 10.
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Burns will enter the fight on the back of a title fight loss against Kamaru Usman at UFC 258 earlier this year, where the Brazilian almost came close to realizing his dream of becoming a UFC champion.
Recently, ‘Durinho’ appeared for an interview with SCMP MMA. He talked about his next match and many other things, including his opponent ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 30: Tyron Woodley battles Gilbert Burns in a welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 30, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
“He has great movements, great footwork,” he said. “A good poker face. He does that very good. Trying to be very friendly, but I know he likes to frustrate people. He makes the guy frustrated…and be very comfortable and yeah I have brought a couple of karate guys.”
Gilbert Burns talks about Stephen Thompson
On being asked what he expects while going up against Thompson, Gilbert replied, “I don’t know, maybe. I wanna be ready for anything.”
Gilbert referred to Thompson’s fight against Till and explained his amusement when the former defeated the latter from out of nowhere.
“But I don’t think he’s gonna change (technique) so much I think. He is bigger than me, he’s longer than me…I am ready just in case,” he added.
When asked about the prediction for the match, ‘Durinho’ predicted a stoppage in favor of him. He also said that a finish here will put him in the No. 1 spot. “A finish, you know, a finish. (But) I think he is a very good fighter,” he further added.
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How has Stephen Thompson fared prior in his last few fights?
Thompson has blown hot and cold in his last few matches. But his last two matches have resulted in wins and he will look to continue with this momentum.
He fought against Vicente Luque at UFC 244. After a hard-fought tussle, he came out as the winner via a unanimous decision. ‘Wonderboy’ then fought against Geoff Neal at UFC Fight Night 183. He defeated ‘Handz of Steel’ via unanimous decision.
Thompson has a tough task against a spirited Burns. Although the latter lost against Usman in his last match, he has racked up six wins out of the last seven fights.
What did you make of Burns’s assessment on ‘Wonderboy’?
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