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

Burns (22-10) himself was a feared jiu-jitsu artist with nine
career submissions. “Durinho” complimenting someone’s jiu-jitsu
certainly carries weight and he recently revealed that two of his
compatriots have the best grappling in the UFC, although in
different aspects.

Charles Oliveira gets Burns’ nod for MMA jiu-jitsu, while Diego
Lopes stands out in the pure form

Burns believes Charles
Oliveira has the best MMA-focused jiu-jitsu in the UFC.
However, he notes that MMA-focused jiu-jitsu is very different from
pure jiu-jitsu, with the striking aspect completely out of the
equation. According to the former fighter, Diego Lopes
has the best pure jiu-jitsu game.

“Pure jiu-jitsu – that’s a different question,” Burns told MMA
Fighting. “Because jiu-jitsu in the UFC, I would say Charles
[Oliveira] is up there. But pure jiu-jitsu, I think Diego Lopes has
great pure jiu-jitsu. That’s what I heard from a lot of guys who
trained with him.”

Oliveira (37-11) is undoubtedly one of the greatest jiu-jitsu
artists in the history of mixed martial arts. The former
lightweight champ has the most finishes and submissions in UFC
history. He is on a two-fight winning streak and coming off a BMF
title win over Max
Holloway.

Meanwhile, Lopes left his home in Brazil at the age of 19 to teach
jiu-jitsu in Mexico, which has since become a second home to him.
He is 2-2 in his last four, with both losses coming in failed
featherweight title bids against Alexander
Volkanovski. He’s revealed his intentions to move up to
lightweight, so a clash against Oliveira could be on the cards.