Former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley 19-4, 7 KOs, 5 SUBs will meet surging Gilbert Burns 18-3, 6 KOs, 8 SUBs at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, May 30 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card streams live on ESPN+.
Tyron Woodley’s reign as welterweight champion was a polarizing one. There were dominant wins that made him look like a stud. There were tepid fights that made fans feel like he was the most boring champ ever. There was the release of his rap single, “I’ll Beat Yo Ass”, I kid you not. There was a lot of talk of chasing a money fight with GSP. There was even talks of T-Wood being an all-timer at 170.
All that came crashing to an end when Woodley stepped into the cage with Kamaru Usman at UFC 235. Woodley didn’t just lose his belt, he got bent over and spanked by Marty from Nebraska. For five rounds, the then-champ took a beating and never even really fought back. That’s gonna be tough to bounce back from.
This Saturday, Woodley looks to get back into the title mix when he meets Gilbert Burns in the main event of a Fight Night card at the UFC Apex. Burns earned his high profile shot with a five-fight winning streak, most recently beating Demian Maia via TKO this past March. At 170, beating Maia leads to big things - in this case a chance to prove his title readiness against a former champ.
Woodley is the current No. 1 contender while Burns is ranked No. 6 overall. This a fight with huge title implications, although nothing is guaranteed with talks of a rematch between Usman and Covington. While the division is loaded, only a handful of guys can legitimately be considered title contenders: Woodley, Covington, Masvidal and Leon Edwards. Burns could join that group and punt Woodley out.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best betting options at the online sportsbooks. Live UFC betting lets you bet on live line updates, so make sure to sign in during fight night.
Tyron Woodley -195
Gilbert Burns +154
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +137 / -173
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Woodley 2.50 / Burns 3.13
Striking accuracy: Woodley 49% / Burns 44%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Woodley 2.58 / Burns 3.02
Striking defense: Woodley 57% / Burns 56%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Woodley 1.21 / Burns 2.39
Takedown accuracy: Woodley 41% / Burns 38%
Takedown defense: Woodley 92% / Burns 44%
Submission average: Woodley 0.5 / Burns 0.7
Burns is the less recognized fighter, and his early UFC years weren’t all that special. Debuting as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, his trajectory is typical of guys from that background: a killer when he could force grappling exchanges, but outclassed on the feet. This led to some inconsistent patches, but he’s turned a corner the past few years.
Burns will never be a pretty striker, but he’s found a way to be an effective overall fighter. Through a pressure game that maximizes his natural physical power. His rugged striking game was enough to knock out Demian Maia, which is something that Woodley was unable to do.
We know who Woodley is at this stage: a ridiculously explosive athlete who has no problem giving away rounds and in some cases, entire fights. He is a generally very smart fighter, knowing when to be aggressive and how to steal rounds. Against rhythm fighters in Till and Lawler, Woodley used his speed and power to make sure they never got started. Against Maia, Woodley simply made sure he never ended up on his back. But if Woodley doesn’t have confidence that he can control an exchange, he refuses to engage and will try to win on points.
Here’s the thing with Woodley - he’s so physically talented that it takes a fighter with elite skills and attributes to beat him. Burns is strong, but he’s not Usman. On top of that, the Brazilian won’t be able to force Woodley to the ground. The pressure might bother Woodley, but the former champ’s counter punches and leg kicks will do the most damage. Take Woodley to win the scrap.
