The Fire and the Fading Light: Saying Goodbye to Gilbert "Durinho" Burns

Last night, inside the Canada Life Centre at UFC Winnipeg, Gilbert “Durinho” Burns left his gloves in the Octagon. The 39-year old Brazilian veteran dropped a third-round TKO loss to rising Canadian standout, Mike Malott

Burns called an unceremonious end to a remarkable 12-year UFC run, which saw him challenge for the welterweight title.

"I was 1,000 percent confident that I was going to win," an emotional Burns admitted to the broadcast crew afterward.

“I knew if something goes wrong, I don't want to do this no more. If I cannot win, if I cannot show everything that I have, I don't want to do this."

Malott was sharper and faster on the night. The Canadian's jab couldn't be slipped and at the 2:08 mark of the 3rd round, an overhand right followed by ground strikes closed the book. It was Burns' fifth consecutive loss.

But to define Gilbert Burns by his final act is to completely misunderstand his legacy.

From Niterói to the Octagon

Before he was a welterweight terror, Burns was just a kid from Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. Despite childhood asthma, his drive on the jiu-jitsu mats led him to becoming a BJJ world champion.

His background in jiu-jitsu was only an introduction to the combat-sports world. The grappling savant transitioned into MMA, developing himself into a rounded fighter.

For years, he toiled at lightweight, enduring agonizing cuts to 155 pounds. He was good, but it wasn’t until he stopped fighting the scale and moved up to welterweight in 2019 that the world met the real "Durinho."

Unburdened by the brutal weight cut, his hands turned to dynamite. He steamrolled through the division's elite. Dismantling legends like Demian Maia and Tyron Woodley with a terrifying blend of world-class grappling and knockout power.

In 2021 he challenged for the UFC welterweight title against former teammate, Kamaru Usman. An early knockdown in the first round nearly saw him dethrone the champion. That night was not his however, as he was finished in the 3rd round.

The Gambler Who Never Said No

When no one in the top ten wanted to touch the terrifying prospect that was Khamzat Chimaev in 2022, Burns raised his hand.

They went to war for 15 minutes in a fight that will live in the UFC Hall of Fame.

The pair set an unprecedented pace over three rounds, providing fans with every aspect of MMA they could have wanted. More importantly, Burns made Khamzat look beatable.

Burns’ pursuit of challenging the best of the best didn’t stop there. He went on to fight the likes of Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady, Michael Morales, and finally, Mike Malott. Two of which have already become UFC champions.

He constantly put his ranking on the line against the hungriest killers the matchmakers could find.

"I fought the best guys in the world, No. 1 pound-for-pound, a lot of guys, former champions," Burns told the Winnipeg crowd, holding back tears. "I never said no to a fight."

And that is his legacy. In an era of matchmaking calculus, where fighters typically cling to rankings, Burns acted the gambler. Constantly betting on himself.

“Durinho” walks away with a professional record of 22-10, but numbers don’t tell the full story of both the legacy and security he secured.