Gilbert Burns Seeks Spot in Top 15, Aims for Finish of Olivier Aubin-Mercier at UFC on Fox 28

After competing just once last year, Gilbert Burns would like to fight four times in 2018 – which would fulfill the contract he signed following a second-round knockout of Jason Saggo at UFC Fight Night 116.

That begins when he faces Olivier Aubin Mercier in a lightweight bout at UFC on Fox 28 on Saturday in Orlando, Fla. “Durinho” hopes that a victory could propel him closer to the Top 15 of the 155-pound division.

“A win will get me closer to the rankings,” Burns told Sherdog.com. “My goal is to have a pretty dominant win over a tough guy, and we're going to the next fight.”

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace expects to utilize his grappling skills to achieve victory against Aubin-Mercier. The 28-year-old Canadian is an accomplished ground specialist in his own right, with eight of his 12 career victories coming by way of submission.

"At some point or another we'll go to the ground,” Burns said. “I want that to happen, and he also does not run away from the game that he has. My goal is to have a dominant performance there, and if I succeed I want to get the finish. I'm going to work hard for this, and if I cannot get it, I at least want to dominate the fight for three rounds.”

UFC on Fox 28 takes place at the Amway Center and is headlined by a featherweight showdown between Jeremy Stephens and Josh Emmett. Burns vs. Aubin-Mercier is currently slated to be the fifth bout of the UFC Fight Pass prelims, which begin at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.