Official WNO: Rafael Lovato Jr vs Gilbert Burns Preview

Official WNO: Rafael Lovato Jr vs Gilbert Burns Preview

Everything you need to know about the upcoming WNO: Rafael Lovato Jr vs Gilbert Burns, which goes down on Friday, April 30th!

Apr 26, 2021
Official WNO: Rafael Lovato Jr vs Gilbert Burns Preview

FloGrappling Who's Number One (WNO) returns on April 30th with yet another stacked event, when Gilbert "Durinho" Burns takes on Rafael Lovato Junior in Austin, Texas. All eight matches will be fifteen minutes in length and contested under WNO rules, with the first two prelims being streamed on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

This will be our first WNO with a crowd in over a year, tickets are available here.

Craig Jones recently had to pull out of the main event here, sliding the battle between MMA stars of Rafael Lovato Jr vs Gilbert Burns into the main event, with Tye Ruotolo taking on William Tackett in the new co main event.


Rafael Lovato Jr vs Gilbert Burns

In a match between two legends of the sport, this is surprisingly the first ever meeting between Rafael Lovato Jr and Gilbert "Durinho" Burns. This will be both mens WNO debut, Durinho was supposed to compete against Dante Leon in October but had to withdraw when he was signed a UFC title fight.

Gi, no-gi or MMA, both of these ahtletes have done it all. The former Bellator champion Lovato will take on top UFC contender Durinho in our co main event of the evening, and this one is sure to be a war.

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William Tackett vs Tye Ruotolo

Although no doubt disappointing to lose Craig Jones in the main event, there couldn't have been a better replacement on five days notice than third ranked middleweight William Tackett. Two of the most promising young grapplers meet up here, with the 19 year old Tackett going to battle with 18 year old Ruotolo. 


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Nicky Ryan vs PJ Barch

Now 19 years old, Nicky Ryan looks ready to fulfill the promise that fans have been waiting for from the younger brother of the current P4P king. Standing in his way is 10th Planet's PJ Barch, coming off a dominant performance at Emerald City, where he submitted all four of his opponents on the way to first place.


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Alex Nguyen vs Grace Gundrum

This match was originally supposed to be Jessa Khan vs Grace Gundrum, but a knee injury forced Jessa out of the match and in steps No-Gi Worlds and Pans champion Alex Nguyen. She is no doubt the big underdog here against 10th Planet prodigy Grace Gundrum, who is looking to bounce back from her first loss in her career, a close decision against Mayssa Bastos at WNO in December.

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Ethan Crelinsten vs Kade Ruotolo

The second DDS vs Atos grudge match on this card, this match is a rematch of one of the most controversial decisions in WNO history. Kade emerged the winner in that match from almost a year ago, and Ethan will be looking for revenge when he gets his second chance here. Kade will no doubt be ready after having faced Ethan before and felt just how dangerous the Canadian grappler is.

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Andrew Wiltse vs David Garmo

"Daisy Fresh" star Andrew Wiltse is coming off a big victory in his WNO debut against PJ Barch in February. Standing in the way of his "victory Panda" will be guillotine master David Garmo. This match between two of the best in the Midwest is a sure contender for fight of the night.

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Jessica Crane vs Lauren Sears

Our second prelim of the night, this match features two rising stars in maybe the deepest women's division currently, strawweight (115 lbs). Both athletes are Texas locals, and the winner here should be thrust into big time matches with the likes of Grace Gundrum and Jessa Khan.


Haisam Rida vs Sloan Clymer

Kicking off the night will be a heavyweight clash between Haisam Rida and Sloan Clymer. Rida recently relocated to Detroit from Japan, and Clymer was recently promoted to black belt by his coach Keenan Cornelius at Legion American Jiu-Jitsu.


Watch WNO: Rafael Lovato Jr vs Gilbert Burns On Demand On FloGrappling