Gilbert Burns Doesn’t Think Michel Prazeres’ Ground Game Matches His

Gilbert Burns spoke with MMAjunkie about his fight with Michel Prazeres at UFC Fight Night 95 this weekend. Some highlights are below:

On his larger goals: “I want to be in the top-15, and climbing. Be in the top-10, in the top-5, then it will be kind of easier. If your name is there, you’ll be more well-rounded, it’s going to be easier to ask for a big name fight. I’m looking forward to that. I’m looking forward to getting on the big stage, fighting high-level guys, big name guys, doing main events, co-main events in Brazil. I think Brazil is kind of missing a couple of guys to do the main event. I want to do a main event here. That’s my goal.”

On Prazeres’ claim that they both have the same level of ground game: “I don’t think so, bro. First of all, you have no finishes in the UFC. Not a single one. Just kind of boring fights, take the guy down, be there hugging the guy, kind of stalling a little bit. He’s a strong dude, he’s very strong. His game is – he likes to play it very safe, he wants to be there, take you down, ground and pound a little bit. The referee (calls) ‘action,’ then he makes some action. If it has no referee, the fight is going to be kind of boring. I don’t need a referee there. I know my job. So I’m always gonna take the guy down. I have two goals: or I’m going to knock you out or I’m going to finish – I’m going to make you tap.”

On being tied for second place for most armbar submissions in UFC history: “For sure, I want to be the armlock king. I want to be the king, I want to be the guy who – every record I can break, I’m looking forward to breaking. But especially that one, on my area, my jiu-jitsu, my favorite submission. For sure I’m looking to get the crown and be the armlock king.”

On wanting to get another fight in before 2017: “I want to fight again this year, maybe Sao Paulo (rumored for November), maybe December will be better. I think the only thing I’m missing is more experience inside the cage. My record right now is 11 wins and one loss, but I have almost ten finishes, so I’ve never been in battles. I’ve had three battles of three rounds – one I lost, to Rashid (Magomedov), another one I won, my debut in the UFC (against Andreas Stahl, at UFC on FOX 12). The only other fight that went three rounds was with (Alex) ‘Cowboy’ (Oliveira), and I finished, but all my other fights were first-round finishes. I want to get more experience inside the cage. I want to fight again, I want to be ready, fighting, competing, get better, improve, study, and climb all the way to the top.”

On who he may want to fight next: “I remember for my third fight they offered me Josh Thomson, who at the time was a top-7, to do a co-main event in Brazil. I kind of like the pressure, man. On my third fight in the UFC, get a top-7 and do a co-main event in my town? So I was kind of loving the pressure. But then they changed. But I love – I expect this kind of pressure. I’m glad to be fighting top-ranked guys. If I could choose, I’d ask for Gilbert Melendez, Jim Miller. I’m not going to fight a guy – a Brazilian guy who is building his name, and building his career. I want to fight the big guys that are going to take me to a different level.”