What degree black belt is Gilbert Burns?

UFC star Gilbert Burns is a highly accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter, but can you guess what degree black belt he holds?

What degree black belt is Gilbert Burns?

Gilbert Burns (Image Courtesy: Yahoo Sports)

Gilbert Burns is one of the top welterweight fighters on the UFC roster and has been proving his worth in the last few years. The Brazilian is a tough fighter and is known for taking on any opponent whenever the promotion wants him to. Burns made his UFC debut in 2014 and since then has fought some of the biggest names in the division. Burns is a complete mixed martial artist with both stand-up and grappling skills. 

Born in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro Burns began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when he was very young. He began his studies at Welton Ribeiro’s Academia Associaço Oriente, a division of Nova Uniao. Gilbert spent the entirety of his adolescence practicing BJJ with complete dedication. As a result, Durhino is a Rafael “Fofitio” Barros-trained BJJ black belt of third degree.

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His background in BJJ has helped him a lot in UFC and the fighter is known for his grappling skills inside the octagon. Throughout his MMA career, Burns had won nine fights via submission which is more than his six knockout wins. 

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Related: Gilbert Burns next fight: What is next for ‘Durinho’ after Jorge Masvidal win?

A sneak peek into Gilbert Burns’s grappling career

Gilbert Burns
Gilbert Burns

Before fully transitioning to MMA, Durinho was fully focused on submission grappling and participated in various tournaments all around the world. Burns trained with Nova Uniao until 2007 and even won second prize in the world championship. In 2009, the fighter competed in the World Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Championship and won the silver medal which earned him great recognition.

The year 2010 was amazing for the young grappler who managed to reach the semifinals of the European Open. On top of that Burns won the World Cup finals in Abu Dhabi against Claudio Mattos and ended the year by winning Brazilian Nationals. 

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However, it wasn’t enough for the fighter as in 2011, Burns reached the pinnacle of the sport by winning a gold medal in the World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships. Alongside his UFC career, Burns had always been active with his submission grappling career and has a professional record of 9-5. 

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