Michael Morales vs Gilbert Burns Fight Prediction

The UFC is planning to conduct a test: is Gilbert Burns ready to compete with young prospects, and is Michael Morales capable of confronting former top welterweights? Who can do what – we will find out on May 18, at the UFC Fight Night 256 tournament, where in the main fight these guys will determine the best in a five-round duel.

• Michael Morales vs Gilbert Burns;
• Michael Morales;
• Gilbert Burns;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Michael Morales vs Gilbert Burns

Michael Morales

The Ecuadorian is ranked 12th. Michael's parents are judokas, and in his youth he won judo and wrestling competitions, after which he became more interested in striking sports. At the start of his professional career, he became the champion of the Oro FC and EMMA leagues.

Morales has won 17 times and has never let the audience down. In his last fights, he defeated veteran Neil Magny and went three rounds with Jack Matthews and Max Graffion.

Strengths

Due to his arm span and footwork, Michael feels great in a stand-up position, complementing good defense with a knockout punch. He is in no hurry to develop his success on the ground, although he is not without wrestling skills, plus he defends himself excellently from takedowns.

Weaknesses

As the level of opposition increases, it becomes clear that the Ecuadorian is seriously lacking in experience. He has not gone the distance of 5 rounds, has not been knocked down in a fight, and has not been tested in long, sticky fights. So, many of his weaknesses have yet to be discovered by the guys in the Top 10.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

The fighter is 25 years old, he has not fought since August 2024, and in general, he rarely fights more than twice a year. In the upcoming fight, Michael will face a serious increase in the level of his opponent, both in condition and versatility, while at the moment, he has not made anyone doubt his ability to fight on all floors. And before the chance to get into the top ten of the rating, he will probably prepare better than ever.

Gilbert Burns

The Brazilian is ranked 8th. He is a former UFC title challenger, a 2nd dan black belt in BJJ, a world champion in this type of martial arts, and also the owner of 5 bonuses for the most outstanding performances under the flag of the major league.

Burns is on the decline, the last three bets on his victory among bettors have burned out. But who has he fought? The champion - Muhammad, as well as two challengers: Maddalena and Brady. So, there are no unnecessary questions for him. Guys like Neil Magny and Masvidal, he confidently passed.

Strengths

Gilbert's element is jiu-jitsu, but let's be honest, he has repeatedly put up great fights in the stand-up. There is both a strike and speed, the only thing is that anthropometry leaves its mark in fights with more agile and precise strikers, and not only. "Durinho" is versatile and this must be taken into account.

Weaknesses

Burns' chin sometimes crumbles from jabs, and his defense doesn't get any stronger, quite the opposite. It's important for the Brazilian to be able to work as the number one, otherwise he doesn't do much. It's hard to add anything here: Gilbert has simply gotten older, and there's nothing you can do about it.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

The athlete is 38 years old, his losing streak, of course, does not mean that he is not ready to compete with the new generation of fighters, but it does hint that soon they will create more and more problems for him. Unnoticed by himself, Burns has become a gatekeeper, and in the upcoming fight, he will either prove that he can do something, or bring the end of his career closer with a protracted losing streak.

Comparative analysis

Gilbert rarely beat his opponents in arm reach, and here it was all the more unfaithful - 20 centimeters in favor of Morales, and another 5 cm plus in height. Simply put, in a duel with arms, even taking into account the presence of a solid punch from both, Michael will have a better chance of punching his opponent, because he throws almost 2 times more punches per minute.

Burns is more active on the floors, more willing to go for takedowns, setting the pace of the fight in clinches near the net. The variety of attacks on his part is off the charts, but there may be some hitches with the transfer to the ground. The most important thing is not to try to break Michael from a distance, but to work as in the fight with Stephen Thompson: a lot of wrestling, takedown spam, fussing near the cage. Then there are chances.

Morales has the opposite task – to use his kickboxing and arm swing to stop the opponent’s attacks. It is unlikely that he will be as good on the ground as Belal or Sean Brady. In any case, the free bet for a deposit from 1xbet will cover any surprises that may well happen in a 5-round fight.

Michael Morales vs Gilbert Burns Prediction

As is often the case in matches where a veteran meets a prospect, the question arises: what will prevail, youth or experience? The odds on Gilbert are explained by three losses, but where are those guys and where is Morales? It feels like they got a bit carried away with the odds, even given that Burns doesn't take a punch very well.

In this confrontation, we may well see a lot of close combat, at least for "Durinho" it is logical, which inclines us to think about the protracted nature of the meeting. Nevertheless, we will risk assuming that the fight will end before the middle of the 4th round, the odds are there, as they should be. Closer to the fight, we recommend paying attention to Total Loss (4.5) - it looks safer. Download 1xbet to your phone and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Total Less (3.5)/Full fight – no