What’s Next For Gilbert Burns?

Last Saturday night (March 21, 2015) rising UFC lightweight prospect Gilbert Burns was supposed to face by far his toughest test inside the Octagon.

Scheduled to meet former Strikeforce 155-pound champion Josh Thomson in the co-main event of Rio de Janeiro’s UFC Fight Night 62, “Durinho” had a shot at putting together a massive coming out party on a FOX Sports-televised card, but that opportunity fell by the wayside when “Punk” was forced out of the bout after he was knocked out in training.

With time not an asset, Burns was forced to fight late replacement Alex Oliveira, a much lesser known name than established veteran Thomson.

And for two rounds on Saturday, Burns almost had his hype train derailed by the virtually obscure Brazilian version of “Cowboy,” who was picking him apart with a nonstop offense of sharp uppercuts. But as truly elite fighters do, Burns didn’t stop fighting, persevering until the end to keep his undefeated record without a mark.

In the third round he was able to use his world-class Jiu-jitsu pedigree to lock on a tight omoplata, and it lead to a string of submission attempts ending in a beautiful armbar that Oliveira just couldn’t escape. Check the highlights of Burns’ brilliant comeback win:

Now that Burn survived the brief scare and sits at 3-0 in the Octagon, he has a wide range of possible opponents in the UFC’s deep and talented lightweight arena. It’s tough to say if he’s truly ready for a top 10-ranked challenge based on his performance against Oliveira, but it’s also clear that his ground game can give any fighter significant problems on the mat.

He could be a future star in the making, but his stand-up and conditioning games will have to get considerably better if he wants to contend with the true elite of the division.

For that reason, a bout with someone towards the bottom end of the top 15 would most likely suit Burns best for his next bout. Someone like No. 11 Bobby Green or No. 12 Jim Miller would be an excellent gauge for just how ready Burns is to take on the best, and No. 13 Tony Ferguson could also be a potential candidate.

But if the UFC wants to throw Burns to the wolves as they were originally planning on last weekend, then they should book him up against Myles Jury.

Or even better yet, Thomson again.

“Punk” is the perfect test for Burns’ still-developing skills; a cardio freak who has seen it all and has the well-rounded skills to create problems wherever the fight goes. Obviously he’d most likely want to keep it standing after watching Burns’ fight with Oliveira, yet Thomson is rarely scared to go the ground with anyone.

With middleweight title contender Vitor Belfort and Blackzilians striking coach Henri Hooft in his camp, Burns has the setup to become a big star in the UFC. It appears he also has the promotion’s backing, which will be beyond pivotal in terms of his perceived rise.

He’ll still have to shore up some major holes to become a real contender, however. Do you believe Gilbert Burns will fight for the UFC lightweight title one day?

Photo Credit: Jason da Silva – USA TODAY Sports