Gilbert Alexander Pontes Burns is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and submission grappler. When Burns was young, his father offered to fix his customer’s car in trade for three months of jiu-jitsu lessons for all of his boys. Burns started training at the Academia Associação Oriente, an affiliate of Nova União led by Welton Ribeiro.
After winning the 2011 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships, Burns decided to make mixed martial arts his primary focus and made his professional debut in January 2012.
He competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a grappler, Burns is a three-time World Champion and World Cup gold medalist. He is the older brother of fellow UFC fighter Herbert Burns. As of 12 April 2022, he is #4 in the UFC welterweight rankings.
What ethnicity is Gilbert Burns?
He is Mixed; Portuguese and African descent. However, he is a Brazillian national, and Gilbert’s family heritage compasses into Portuguese and African origins.
Where is Gilbert Burns from?
He is from Niterói, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Niterói is a city in southeast Brazil, connected to Rio de Janeiro by a bridge across Guanabara Bay. Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer designed the saucer-shaped Niterói Contemporary Art Museum on the bay.