Gilbert Burns is starting to look like a legitimate welterweight contender. After making his return to the division earlier this year against Alexey Kunchenko, Burns sought to repeat his performance against Gunner Nelson at UFC Fight Night 160. Like his previous fight, this match was also accepted on short notice. And like his previous fight, he won.
Burns defeated the dangerous Gunner Nelson by unanimous decision, though the fight was close the entire time. Burns, who replaced the injured Thiago Alves, was hoping to prove himself as a worthy grappler against one of the best, and he rose to the occasion.
The two jiu-jitsu black belts sized each other up for most of the first round, keeping the fight mostly standing. The grappling picked up in the second with Burns breaking open a close round with a flying knee and choke attempt. With the fight going either way, Burns was the busier of the two in round three. He likely sealed the deal with a slam in the final minute of the fight.
In a fight that was close the entire time, Burns edged Nelson by points. All three judgest scored it 29-28 for Burns.