Conor McGregor (photo via UFC / YouTube)

By FCF Staff

The consensus is that Conor McGregor’s grappling is the weakest part of his game. But, Gilbert Burns believes fans and observers underestimate the star’s ground skills.

All four of McGregor’s losses to date have come via submission, and as a result, his grappling game has been scrutinized. Recently, however, Burns had this to say about McGregor’s ground skills in a video he posted on YouTube.

“He’s good. People think he’s very bad, but he’s very good. People don’t remember he swept Nate Diaz in their first fight. I think he’s very underrated. People say ‘All you have to do is take him down.’ First of all, when the guy controls the distance like Conor, it’s not easy to take the guy down.”

“Another thing that people don’t realize, is those guys that kick a lot, they develop a lot of power in their hips. So those hips are very flexible and very strong,” the Brazilian continued. “It’s that type of flexibility and strength that is the same one that you use to defend the takedowns. The point is, Conor’s jiu-jitsu is not bad. People underestimate that, but he is a good grappler the way I see.”

McGregor is booked to fight Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 257, which will take place on January 23rd.

Burns is scheduled to face welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 258, February 13th.