Gilbert Burns rates Jack Della Maddalena’s boxing very highly.

Burns (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) meets Della Maddalena (16-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at UFC 299 on March 9 at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Della Maddalena is just outside the top 10 in the UFC’s welterweight rankings, so why is Burns fighting him? “Durinho” said he didn’t have too many options after he dropped a decision to Belal Muhammad at UFC 288 this past May.

“Colby (Covington) just fought. He’s not going to fight for a while,” Burns said on the JAXXON PODCAST with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. “Leon (Edwards) just won. Belal (Muhammad) is next. Kamaru (Usman) is not fighting right now.

“If we’re kind of looking for the numbers, a lot of guys that the number makes sense (to fight me), they’re not there. So the way I see it, I’m coming from a loss. I’ve got to go in there and get a win, and then I’m in the conversation again.”

Unbeaten in the UFC, Della Maddalena has finished four of his six octagon opponents. Burns admitted he needs to be wary of the danger the Aussie brings with his boxing.

“This guy is very tough,” Burns said. “He’s 6-0 in the UFC. He’s got crazy knockouts, good boxer, heavy boxer – he’s not just a regular boxer. He rips the guys’ bodies. He comes forward kind of like (Paulo) Costa.

“He fights coming forward, rips the body – so the guy is a good (fighter). He’s that guy that is very tough, that is a little bit scary. I like that, when I feel like, ‘Oh, sh*t – if I’m not 100 percent, sh*t might get crazy.’”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.