Gilbert Burns names UFC’s best MMA & pure jiu-jitsu fighters

Gilbert Burns, the respected grappler and former UFC welterweight contender, recently offered his assessment of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. With nine submission victories across his own career, Burns carries considerable credibility when evaluating grappling prowess, and he identified two Brazilian countrymen who stand at the elite level—though in distinctly different disciplines.

Burns named Charles Oliveira as possessing the best MMA-focused jiu-jitsu in the UFC. Oliveira, a former lightweight champion with a 37-11 record, holds the organization's all-time record for submissions and finishes. He is currently riding a two-fight winning streak, including a recent BMF title victory over Max Holloway. However, Burns emphasized that MMA jiu-jitsu and pure jiu-jitsu are fundamentally different pursuits; the latter removes striking from the equation entirely.

When it comes to pure grappling, Burns gave the nod to Diego Lopes. "Pure jiu-jitsu – that's a different question," Burns told MMA Fighting. "I think Diego Lopes has great pure jiu-jitsu. That's what I heard from a lot of guys who trained with him." Lopes, a featherweight currently considering a move to lightweight, left Brazil at age 19 to teach jiu-jitsu in Mexico, which has become his adopted home. He is 2-2 in his last four fights, with both losses coming in title bids against Alexander Volkanovski. A potential future matchup between Lopes and Oliveira at lightweight could offer an intriguing clash of two of the sport's finest grapplers.