Gilbert Burns wanted to become a UFC champion. He put years into chasing that goal, and walking away without the belt could have made retirement difficult to accept.
Instead, the Brazilian is happy.
There are still opponents to prepare for, titles to pursue and training sessions to get through. There is also an academy to open and a growing roster of fighters who need his guidance. Leaving MMA has given Burns room to pursue all of it.
“I’m very happy that I’m not doing MMA anymore, actually,” Burns told Dan Kuhl from Combat Press. “I’m very, very happy.”
On Thursday, Oct. 8, Burns will make his second UFC BJJ appearance when he faces Gabriel Almeida at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. The veteran sees an opportunity to move closer to another championship, this time in the sport that started his career.
Making Peace With the End of His MMA Career
Burns had imagined a particular ending to his fighting career: win a UFC championship, retire and move on. As his career progressed, returning to jiu-jitsu became part of the plan. Landing in UFC BJJ was something he had not anticipated.
Before making that transition, he had to decide when he had given MMA everything he could.
Burns described changes in his explosiveness and striking timing, along with two concussions that made continuing less appealing. Even when preparation went well, he no longer felt that everything he showed in training carried into competition.
In his last fight, that disconnect helped make the decision clear.
“During the fight, I wasn’t feeling myself,” Burns said. “I wasn’t feeling my best.”
He had given himself a limited window to keep pursuing his goal. When the results did not follow, he was comfortable closing that chapter.
“That was a good run,” Burns said. “I gave everything I had.”
There were other offers, including boxing opportunities, but Burns wanted to return to grappling. He also wanted time to develop the business interests that would carry him beyond his own competitive career.
Returning to the Sport That Started It All
For Burns, moving from jiu-jitsu into MMA had once seemed like the natural progression.
The fighters he admired established themselves in the gi, moved into no-gi competition and then tested their skills in MMA. Burns wanted to follow that same path. Today’s grapplers have more ways to build careers without making the transition, but MMA was always something he wanted to accomplish.
Returning to jiu-jitsu did not mean starting over.
Burns said he continues to wrestle at Kill Cliff FC, while his grappling preparation includes training with Vagner Rocha and at Fight Sports Miami. Jiu-jitsu remained part of his life throughout his MMA career, even when he was not competing regularly in professional grappling.
Once MMA was finished, he could give it his full attention.
Burns said the UFC BJJ offer was better than the other grappling opportunities he had received, although accepting the exclusive agreement meant withdrawing from other matches. He estimated that he had about six weeks to prepare for his debut.
Already in shape from MMA training, he felt that was enough time to make the transition.
The result was a quick finish against an opponent he had expected to push him much harder.
“I had no idea it was gonna be that quick,” Burns said. “I thought we were gonna have a war.”
That result has not changed how he approaches Almeida. Burns is preparing for a difficult match and looking for the opening that could end it.
Gabriel Almeida and a Possible Path to the Title
Burns sees Almeida as a tough opponent with strong takedowns, a good top game and dangerous leg attacks.
His own approach will center on pressure. He believes his wrestling and aggressiveness can eventually force Almeida into a difficult position, but he expects to work for it.
“I’m ready for three rounds of war if we have to,” Burns said.
A finish could also help Burns make his case for a UFC BJJ title opportunity. He believes a strong performance against Almeida could put him close to that next step, although nothing has been promised.
“If I do get a finish versus Gabriel, I make a big statement,” Burns said. “And then title might be next.”
The prospect gives him another competitive goal after years spent pursuing a UFC belt. He still wants to win championships, and he believes this return to jiu-jitsu can take him there.
A Wrestling Challenge and Lessons for the Next Match
Jiu-jitsu is not the only outlet for Burns’s competitive drive.
He also accepted an opportunity to compete in Real American Freestyle, stepping into a wrestling match against Khamzat Chimaev. According to Burns, the opportunity came together after he expressed interest in the promotion during an interview.
The initial discussions involved competing in October. Instead, he said he received an offer around Sept. 1 for a Sept. 18 appearance in Miami, leaving roughly 17 days to prepare.
Burns liked the opportunity and said he signed a three-match agreement. He also came away wanting a longer preparation period for his next appearance.
Six to eight weeks, he believes, would allow him to put in the work necessary to arrive better prepared.
He already knew the next UFC BJJ match was approaching while preparing for wrestling. Almeida had been on his radar for several weeks, and Burns said he had already been putting in the work for that matchup.
Building an Academy and Helping Fighters Build Careers
Burns’s next phase also includes helping other athletes navigate their careers.
He said his MMA agency had 14 fighters signed at the time of the interview, including one UFC athlete. He was also working toward signing another fighter already in the promotion.
Getting fighters into the UFC is part of the objective. Helping them create opportunities beyond a fight contract is another.
“I just want to help these guys to become a brand,” Burns said. “They just cannot be another UFC fighter.”
He wants his clients to have options in grappling, wrestling, boxing, appearances and seminars. Becoming a champion would be ideal, but Burns wants their careers to offer opportunities even if they never reach that goal.
His own experience has given him a model for what that can look like.
Burns is also opening On The Rock BJJ in Boca Raton, Fla. During the interview, he said the academy’s grand opening was scheduled for the following morning.
Teaching will focus on jiu-jitsu and grappling. Burns has little interest in taking on the full responsibility of MMA coaching, which he sees as requiring several specialists to work together across striking, wrestling and submissions.
He wants to help fighters with their careers while building a place where he can teach the sport he knows best.
For now, there is another match to win.
“I’m always gonna show up with a lot of aggressiveness,” Burns said. “I’m gonna be looking for the finish since the beginning.”
That is what fans can expect against Almeida: pressure from the opening moments and a veteran who still has plenty he wants to accomplish.
“Oct. 8,” Burns said. “Putting on a show.”