As far as UFC debuts go, they don’t get much harder than a last-minute fight with Gilbert Burns.
The long-time welterweight contender boasts big-name wins over the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, Tyron Woodley, and Demian Maia, whom he punched out in a March 2020 battle of the best UFC grapplers.
Two years prior, Gilbert Burns was a 12-2 lightweight still finding his feet in MMA’s premier promotion after losing two of his first six Octagon outings.
Still, he was levels above Dan Moret, who stepped in to fight him on short notice during the undercard of Dustin Poirier’s first fight with Justin Gaethje, which took place at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on April 14, 2018.
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Gilbert Burns slept UFC debutant with monstrous uppercut
Burns is renowned for his world-class grappling ability, but he went headhunting early against ‘The Hitman’.
‘Durinho’ repeatedly sat down on his punches and kicks looking to knock out the debuting Moret.
After getting tagged on the feet, Burns took his opponent down and finished round one in top position.
At the start of the second frame, UFC commentator Dominick Cruz accused Burns of looking for the knockout too much as he told the Brazilian to mix up his game to keep Moret guessing.
Seconds later, the 38-year-old wobbled his opponent before backing him up against the fence where he finished the fight with a monstrous uppercut.
Burns immediately wheeled away to celebrate without attempting any follow-up punches.
It was clear Moret was out, so why not add a walk-off KO to his already impressive highlight reel?
What’s next for Gilbert Burns?
Burns is set to return to the Octagon against 17-0 contender Michael Morales on Saturday night.
The welterweight duo will headline UFC Vegas 106, which will take place at the UFC APEX in Nevada.
Burns is looking to snap a three-fight losing skid started by a defeat to Belal Muhammad in May 2023.
Since then, he’s been knocked out by Jack Della Maddalena and outpointed by Sean Brady.
Even with his recent record, Burns remains a major player in the welterweight division.
Morales will have to put on a career-best performance to get by him this weekend.