TLDR
- Gilbert Burns lost his first UFC BJJ match after Gabriel Almeida submitted him with a heel hook at UFC BJJ 12 in Las Vegas
- Burns retired from MMA in April 2025 following a fifth straight loss, a knockout defeat to Mike Malott at UFC Winnipeg
- The 40-year-old has now lost two consecutive grappling matches after winning his UFC BJJ debut in June
- Burns confirmed his retirement is permanent, saying he does not miss the physical toll of MMA training after watching sparring sessions
- Despite never winning a UFC belt, Burns says he is happy with his career that included a title fight and multiple main events
Sources: yardbarker.com | heavy.com
Former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns suffered his first defeat in UFC BJJ on Thursday night, tapping out to a painful heel hook submission.
The 40-year-old Burns faced Gabriel Almeida at UFC BJJ 12 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Almeida locked in the heel hook with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first round, forcing Burns to tap out.
UFC vet and 3-time IBJJF world champ Gilbert Burns returned to his grappling roots but got quickly submitted at UFC BJJ.
Gabriel Almeida got him with a heel hook in the first round. pic.twitter.com/cIccPdqAzj
— Anton Tabuena (@antontabuena) October 9, 2026
Burns retired from mixed martial arts earlier this year after being knocked out by Mike Malott in the main event of UFC Winnipeg in April. That loss was his fifth straight defeat in MMA.
Since retiring from MMA, Burns has competed in three grappling matches. He won his UFC BJJ debut in June by submitting Horlando Monteiro, which was his first victory in combat sports since 2023.
Burns Tries Multiple Grappling Disciplines
Between his two UFC BJJ matches, Burns competed in Real American Freestyle wrestling in September. He lost to Khamzat Chimaev via tech fall in that bout, marking his first loss outside of MMA retirement.
The Thursday night loss to Almeida represents Burns’ second consecutive defeat in grappling competitions. Burns is a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor with titles including IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Champion in both gi and no-gi divisions.
Almeida, the 2020 IBJJF American National No-Gi champion, earned the win with what UFC BJJ described as a “heel hook from HELL” on social media. Burns grimaced in pain as he was forced to tap out to the leg lock.
After the loss, Burns posted on social media acknowledging the defeat. “Humbled on winning or defeat, shoutout to my opponent, be back better real soon,” he wrote on X.
Former Champion Confirms Retirement is Permanent
In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com, Burns confirmed that his MMA retirement is permanent. He said a recent visit to Kill Cliff FC gym while preparing for his wrestling match reminded him why he walked away from fighting.
“I saw these guys sparring, and I don’t miss it at all,” Burns said. “One guy was dropped by a body shot, the other one almost got kicked in the face, and then knee on the body, and like, yeah, I don’t miss that at all.”
Burns said he is happy just focusing on grappling and wrestling now. He watched his friend Alexandre Pantoja fight recently and felt no desire to return to MMA competition.
The former welterweight contender said he does not miss the physical toll of MMA training. “I don’t miss getting kneed on my body, low kicks. No, I don’t miss that at all,” he stated.
Burns expressed satisfaction with his MMA career despite never winning a UFC championship. He fought for the welterweight title and competed in multiple main events during his time with the promotion.
The Brazilian fighter said he misses his training partners at Kill Cliff FC, including Henri Hooft, Vicente Luque, and Gregory Rodrigues. However, he has made new friends through daily jiu-jitsu training and remains content with his decision to retire from MMA at age 40.
