Burns Names UFC's Best MMA Jiu-Jitsu Fighters

Gilbert Burns has picked his two standouts for best jiu-jitsu in the UFC, splitting the honor between MMA application and pure technique.

The welterweight contender named former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira as the fighter who best deploys jiu-jitsu in mixed martial arts, while featherweight Diego Lopes earned his nod for pure technical grappling. "MMA jiu-jitsu, it's Charles Oliveira. Pure jiu-jitsu, it's Diego Lopes," Burns said, per Sherdog.

Why Oliveira and Lopes Stand Out

Oliveira holds the UFC record for most submission wins with 16 finishes by tap across lightweight and featherweight, a resume that includes front chokes, guillotines, and rear-naked strangles against top-ranked opposition. Lopes, a featherweight who earned a black belt under Andre Galvao at Atos, has shown crisp transitions and positional control in his UFC run.

Burns himself is a three-time world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has 8 submission wins in the octagon. He trains at Sanford MMA in Florida and has faced welterweight title challenger status twice in recent years.

Oliveira fights again in the lightweight title picture later this year, while Lopes is angling for a top-five featherweight matchup after back-to-back wins.

Source: sherdog.com