Preview: DWCS Season 3, Episode 7

Herbert Burns vs. Darrick Minner

Burns has competed in the Titan Fighting Championship and One Championship organizations. The younger brother of UFC lightweight Gilbert Burns, he has compiled an 8-2 record, with his only losses coming to Professional Fighters League veterans Movlid Khaybulaev and Magomed Idirisov. He enters the competition on the heels of back-to-back submission wins. He received his shot on DWCS when he put forth an impressive performance on an episode of Dana White’s “Lookin’ for a Fight.” The Brazilian is not known for his striking, though he is serviceable in that area. Similar to his brother, he is aggressive on the feet, works behind basic combinations and packs some surprising power. He dispatches a large arsenal of kicks, with his front kick to the body being his favored technique. With that said, Burns is not the most defensive-minded fighter. He tends to trust his chin too much, willing to walk through his opponent’s shots to land some of his own. This approach has led to his being wobbled in past bouts, though he has not yet lost by knockout. The Brazilian moves like a shark in the ocean when the action spills onto ground. He often looks to close the distance and take down his opponents with a body lock from the clinch. Once on top, the Hard Knocks 365 representative displays some high-level grappling. Burns has some of the slickest back takes in the game. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has incredible top control and has finished six of his professional wins by way of submission. If he cannot take down his opponent, he is willing to pull guard to get the fight to its desired position. The biggest flaw in his game is his cardio, as he has the tendency to slow down once the fight reaches its latter stages.

Minner was a surprising pick for DWCS due to his middling .500 mark over his last six bouts. Despite some lackluster success recently, he has tons of experience with a 21-9 record. The 29-year-old has fought at bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight during his professional career. Despite having so much experience, Minner’s striking leaves a lot to be desired. He fights at a high pace but lacks technique. He switches stances a lot and uses tons of movement to try to change up his attacks. When he does attack, he tends to lead with his chin, making him quite hittable. He throws looping overhand punches and tries to dodge his opponent’s strikes by dropping his head to one side and backing straight up. The LFA veteran throws a lot of kicks but does not have much snap on them. Operating out of a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu affiliate in Las Vegas, Minner’s bread and butter is his ground game. The Nebraska native is a former NCAA wrestler who has good speed on his double- and single-leg entries. He also excels at initiating and winning scrambles. Despite being a strong offensive wrestler, Minner is willing to give up takedowns or even pull guard because he has so much confidence in his submission game. Of his 22 wins, 19 have come by way of submission. The aggressive grappler is strong at attacking the neck for chokes, while he has also shown a willingness to drop down on the legs for kneebars or heel hooks. This risk-taking style has caused him to lose dominant position and has left him to be struck while being pinned underneath his opponent.

While Minner has an impressive track record with 20 career stoppages under his belt, he has struggled when facing higher competition. When matched against UFC talents like Luke Sanders, Chico Camus and Jordan Griffin, he has fallen short. Minner will likely look to take this fight to the canvas, just as he has in almost every other fight. That would be a big mistake. Burns is the much more accomplished grappler, but even if this fight remains on the feet, the Brazilian will have the advantage. Minner’s pace could pose a threat to Burns, but superior skills should still reign supreme. Expect some fun scrambles on the canvas before Burns finishes Minner with a rear-naked choke midway through the fight and joins his brother on the UFC roster.

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