A massive fight is ahead of this Saturday. UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs Burns draws so much attention, with numerous MMA experts admitting that they didn’t expect to see such an interest over this bout. According to insiders from the organization, this match is a title-eliminator, and whoever wins it is the next opponent of the reigning champion Kamaru Usman.
This is how Dana White wants to award these two guys for being brave enough to step up during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer their services to the organization. Besides that, it seems that the current No.1 challenger Jorge Masvidal isn’t interested in meeting Usman anytime soon, because he plans the second part of the BMF title clash with Nate Diaz.So, this is once in a lifetime situation, and both Woodley and Burns have to grab it.
Preview
With 38 years of age, one of the legends of the UFC is looking for his final shot at regaining the title, If by any chance Woodley loses this bout, coming back to the top would be extremely difficult for him, because of all the formalities and time which he needs to wait.
The American didn’t step into the ring since losing the title against Usman in March 2019, but he did push for a rematch during that time. It was a unanimous decision back then in Usman’s favor.
Previously, Woodley defended the title on four occasions, once set via a draw against Stephen Thompson and immediately after that defeating the same opponent. He would defeat Damian Maia and Darren Till afterward also.
What many want to know, is whether he has enough fuel in his tank to bounce back? With 38 years, it is pretty questionable, especially after seeing him against Usman once he couldn’t catch his pace throughout the entire bout. Now, having in mind that he is a fantastic wrestler, and that he will use more power when attacking than Burns, his condition will be tested here.
By the way, do know that Burns, too, is a super-strong guy.
Durinho, as the fans call Burns, is on a streak of five victories, each one more impressive than the previous. The latest was against Demian Maia this March, at the UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira. It was a first-round knockout that eventually qualified Burns to the elite echelon of welterweight fighters.
He is now the No.8 in this division, and has enormous ambitions. Of course, among them is the one to fight for the title, and eventually grab it, but first, he needs to prove himself against Woodley. The former champ will be the biggest rival in Burn’s CV. His previous wins were against Gunnar Nelson, Alexey Kunchenko, and Mike Davis, who are, without any disrespect, lower-tier fighters.
One other thing which might be problematic for the Brazilian is his inexperience. He is entering his first career-changer, while on the other side, Woodley had numerous of those.
Prediction
The biggest problem for us is that Woodley’s fitness. He’s been away from the octagon for too long, and we can’t tell whether all those injuries left some trace on his body. Plus, a pause made could also create some ring-rust which isn’t so easy to overcome, no matter your quality.
We truly believe that this match might go to the distance, but once choosing which fighter to back up, we will pick the former champ, because of his experience. Also, we didn’t see Burns fighting against a guy of Woodley’s caliber. Odds at BetXChange are at 0.47 right now and that is a good offer from our point of view.
