Gilbert Burns has officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition. The announcement came following his recent fight at UFC Winnipeg. Burns had been a prominent welterweight contender in the UFC for many years. No additional details about the reasons for his retirement or future plans were provided in the brief announcement.
Gilbert Burns, the Brazilian welterweight known as "Durinho," has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts following his most recent appearance at UFC Winnipeg.
Burns, 39, closes out a professional career that spanned a 22-10-0 record, the bulk of it spent competing at the highest level of the UFC's welterweight division. Representing Kill Cliff FC and fighting out of Brazil, he rose to become one of the most respected contenders in the 170-pound weight class, earning a rank of 13th in the division at the time of his retirement. Standing five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach, Burns fought in an orthodox stance and brought a well-rounded offensive game to every outing, averaging 3.15 significant strikes landed per minute at 48 percent accuracy while also threatening consistently on the ground with 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Burns was a ranked welterweight at the time of his exit, meaning his retirement reshapes the divisional ladder at 170 pounds
- His combination of striking output and takedown volume made him a stylistically difficult matchup for most opponents in the weight class
- No reason for the retirement or future plans were provided alongside the announcement, leaving the circumstances of his exit largely open
Burns spent years as a fixture near the top of a stacked welterweight division, challenging for the title and trading wins and losses with some of the best fighters in the world. His departure at 39, with a 22-fight win column behind him, marks the end of a long run at elite level for one of Brazil's more durable welterweight competitors.
