Gilbert Burns recently shared his Mt. Rushmore of Brazilian mixed martial arts legends.
Brazil is known for its exceptional MMA talent, with many stars surpassing the accomplishments of even top-performing athletes from other countries. While the United States has arguably been the most successful, Brazil remains a close second.
Burns started with Minotauro Nogueira, a monumental figure in Brazilian MMA history. He then mentioned Anderson Silva, a legend in the sport who has represented his country at the highest level. Jose Aldo was another inclusion on his list, and Fabricio Werdum rounded out the group.
According to Burns, Werdum is one of the best, having won the Jiu-Jitsu world championship, ADCC championship, and UFC championship.
Despite a rocky end to his UFC career, Werdum has numerous accolades in the sport that make him a true legend. He defeated some of the biggest names in MMA history, ended Fedor Emelianenko’s 28 unbeaten run, and captured gold in the octagon. Burns acknowledges that Werdum may not be as well-remembered as other Brazilian MMA greats, but he believes that he’s one of the best to come out of Brazil.
“[My Mt. Rushmore of Brazilian MMA?] So, I got Nogueira up there for sure. Minotauro Nogueira first. Then we go Anderson Silva, legend. Aldo [is] up there too… Number four for me is Fabricio Werdum. In my eyes, he’s one of the best. Jiu-Jitsu world champion, ADCC champion, and UFC champion… People don’t remember him so much, but I do. I think he’s one of the greats that came from Brazil.”
With South America producing some of the greatest MMA athletes in history, Burns included the likes of Anderson Silva, Minotauro Nogueira, Jose Aldo, and Fabricio Werdum.
After losing to Khamzat Chimaev in a scrap-of-the-year contender last year, Gilbert Burns bounced back with a first-round submission victory over Neil Magny at UFC 283.
Now, he’s looking to push himself into title contention and will get his chance when he competes against Jorge Masvidal in the co-main event of UFC 287 on April 8.