A new top contender has been born in the UFC's welterweight division.
Gilbert Burns defeated Tyron Woodley via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-44) in the UFC Fight Night main event Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
"Durinho" dominated the former 170-pound champion from start to finish. He nearly finished Woodley in the first round, dropping him with a flurry of strikes within 40 seconds of the opening bell. Woodley survived, but the 38-year-old failed to muster much offense of his own through the five-round affair.
Burns' pressure proved key as he walked forward and dished out a variety of punches and kicks against Woodley. The ex-titleholder was timid in the contest, sitting back and seemingly waiting to land a big blow that could change the course of the fight.
Though Burns' approach to the fight was striking-heavy, the Brazilian also returned to his jiu-jitsu roots, taking Woodley down and scoring points on the mat. Ultimately, Burns destroyed his opponent no matter where the fight took place.
Burns extended his winning streak to six in a row, including four straight since moving up to the welterweight division in 2019. The 33-year-old entered the bout as the No. 6-ranked contender and appears to be no more than one win away from a title shot.
Woodley dropped his second consecutive fight. He hadn't stepped into the Octagon since his title loss to Kamaru Usman in March 2019. "The Chosen One" held the belt for nearly three years, defending it four times.
