When Gilbert Burns stated Charles Oliveira is on "different level" from Khabib Nurmagomedov

Charles Oliveira reached the peak of his professional MMA career when he ruled the UFC lightweight division as a champion. 'Do Bronx' had come a long way since making his promotional debut in 2010 and fellow UFC fighter Gilbert Burns felt that Oliveira's achievements rivaled those of his predecessor Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Oliveira captured the lightweight title after Khabib's retirement. The Brazilian's dominant victories led many to believe that he could have been a formidable challenge to the Dagestani fighter if he were still competing.

In a May 2022 interview after Oliveira's UFC 274 win over Justin Gaethje, MMA reporter Helen Yee asked Burns to share his thoughts on comparing Khabib and Oliveira. Burns said:

"It's different. Khabib was the guy that did the hardest thing - [stayed] undefeated and left. All the respect to him but he left. Oliveira has been there since he was super young. Put himself through the fire, and fought everybody. I think he's 11-0 [coming off the Justin Gaethje win] and all finishes. How crazy is that?"

He added:

"Finishing guys like Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier in the early rounds. If he doesn't knock you out, he submits you. Oliveira right now is unbeatable. [Even] If they make the [Khabib vs. Oliveira] fight right now, I think Khabib is different, but Oliveira right now is on a different level."

Check out Gilbert Burns' comments below (4:16):

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Gilbert Burns expected Charles Oliveira to defeat Islam Makhachev at UFC 280

Khabib Nurmagomedov's teammate Islam Makhachev was hailed as the heir apparent to his dominance in the lightweight division after 'The Eagle' called it a career. He was scheduled to challenge Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title at UFC 280.

In an interview with The AllStar heading into the event, Gilbert Burns shared his thoughts on both fighters. Speaking about Makhachev, Burns said:

“A lot of guys say Makhachev is really good and this and that, but the numbers doesn’t say that. People say he’s the new Khabib, but no, he’s not Khabib. He lost by knockout. He got taken down by Thiago Moises. He doesn't have a lot of finishes.”

He then highlighted the positive aspects of Oliveira's game:

Charles' CV is way better than Islam's. Charles' striking is way better than Islam's. [Oliveira] is way bigger than me. I saw him a couple of times. Charles is on a very good momentum. I think Charles is going to win. But I don't think that's going to be easy."

Check out Gilbert Burns' comments below (0:43):

Unfortunately for Burns, Makhachev defeated Oliveira by second-round submission to win the 155-pound title. However, Oliveira is currently the No.2-ranked lightweight contender and continues to be a formidable force in the division.