Gilbert Burns has two clear standouts for having the best ‘Jiu-Jitsu’ in the UFC. The Brazilian himself is a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, and he’s trained with both these fighters. <\/p>\n
When a three-time IBJJF world champion speaks about high-level grappling, the entire combat sports community leans in to listen. Former UFC<\/a> welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns knows<\/a> a thing or two about top-tier Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having accumulated nine submission victories throughout his professional MMA career.<\/p>\n However, when assessing the elite practitioners under the UFC banner today, “Durinho” splits his endorsement into two distinct categories: MMA-adapted grappling and pure technique. <\/p>\n Distinguishing Pure BJJ From MMA Grappling<\/p>\n Evaluating ground games in modern mixed martial arts requires looking at how a fighter adjusts their technique once punches, elbow strikes, and cage walls enter the equation. For pure MMA application, Burns places former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira<\/a> at the pinnacle.<\/p>\n “Do Bronx” holds the prestigious UFC record for the most submission finishes in the promotion’s history with 16, comfortably dismantling high-profile opponents with rear-naked chokes, guillotines, and armbars. <\/p>\n However, when stripped of ground-and-pound and cage tactics, Burns highlights featherweight contender Diego Lopes<\/a> as the standard-bearer for pure technique. Lopes, an\u00a0 accomplished black belt <\/a>who refined his craft under Andre Galvao at Atos, has earned widespread acclaim among gym insiders for his seamless positional transitions. <\/p>\n “Pure jiu-jitsu\u2014that’s a different question,” Burns explained. “Because jiu-jitsu in the UFC, I would say Charles 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.” <\/p>\n