UFC 287 tips: Gilbert Burns looks to continue his title charge against Jorge Masvidal
- Liam Hampton
- 7 April 2023
The UFC welterweight division is one of the deepest in all of combat sports, and two of its stars face off in the co-main event of UFC 287 when Gilbert Burns takes on Jorge Masvidal.
Masvidal is one of the UFC's most recognizable stars, his record breaking knockout of Ben Askren launched him into superstardom back in 2019, since then "Gamebred" has had less good fortune, going 1-3 in his last four outings.
Burns is one of the UFC's most active veterans, a true warrior who embodies the phrase "Anytime, anyplace, anywhere", he has competed eight times in the past three years all against the upper echelon of welterweight.
Sporting one of the most impressive resumes of any current welterweight, Burns also competes regularly in grappling competition to stay sharp, holding wins over Rafael Lovato Jr, Jake Shields and Kazushi Sakuraba all whilst he has been competing in the UFC.
Unfortunately for Masvidal his out of cage antics revolve less around staying sharp, rather staying out of trouble. A hotel bust up with Kevin Holland days prior to this event is just the latest incident, after an attack on Colby Covington led to Masvidal facing felony assault charges.
Focus on this bout is for the potential title implications it offers, Burns would be a fresh challenger for current champion Leon Edwards, whereas Masvidal would have the perfect storyline after another out of competition assault saw him hit Edwards with the now famous "Three piece and a soda" which Edwards will be dying to avenge.
Key stats
Despite currently being on a three-fight losing streak, Masvidal has never lost four fights in a row in his career.
Burns has alternated wins and losses in his last five bouts, with his last bout being a submission win over Neil Magny.
Suggested bets
Gilbert Burns to win by submission.
