Gilbert Burns signs with UFC BJJ after retiring from MMA

Gilbert Burns | Photo via Deive Coutinho One-time UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns has inked a deal with UFC BJJ less than a month after retiring from MMA. Multiple people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news with MMA Fighting. UFC BJJ is yet to officially announce the signing and a debut date, but the current plan is for “Durinho” to have his first match in the bowl in the coming months.

Turning 40 in July, Burns said after his final UFC appearance this past April at UFC Winnipeg, a main event loss to Mike Malott in Canada, that his MMA retirement plans included going back to jiu-jitsu and working as an MMA manager, as well as running his own gym in the United States. Burns went 15-10 under the UFC banner between 2014 and 2026 with key victories over Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, and Jorge Masvidal. He grappled a few times during his UFC stint, defeating the likes of Rafael Lovato Jr.

, Jake Shields, AJ Agazarm, and Gleison Tibau. Prior to transitioning to mixed martial arts in 2012, Burns was a successful jiu-jitsu competitor, winning gold at the IBJJF World Championship in 2011 and capturing the 2010 IBJJF no-gi world title. Some of his biggest wins in jiu-jitsu came against Kron Gracie, Leandro Lo, and Celso Venicius.

UFC BJJ’s next event is scheduled for May 21 at the Meta APEX, headlined by two title matches, Mikey Musumeci vs. Kevin Dantzler and Cassia Moura vs. Bia Basilio.