Justin Burlinson Record: 8-2-0

Bellator and the regional climb

Burlinson's finishing ability earned him a Bellator run. He submitted Maciek Gierszewski with a first-round rear-naked choke at Bellator Newcastle in February 2019, then forced a first-round verbal submission to punches against the experienced 8–4 Wendle Lewis at Bellator 223 that June. Back on the Cage Warriors circuit, he stopped the 9–1 David Bear with second-round punches in 2021, beating quality opposition while keeping his finishing streak intact.

Contender Series setback and response

Burlinson's biggest test to date came in November 2021, when he stepped onto Dana White's Contender Series against the unbeaten 7–0 Yohan Lainesse and was caught with a first-round left hook – the first finish loss of his career. He responded in characteristic fashion, submitting the seasoned 18–6 Daniel Skibinski with a second-round guillotine choke at Cage Warriors 135 in April 2022. A second setback followed that June, when he was stopped by punches in the third round against fellow British standout Rhys McKee at Cage Warriors 140.

Return to form

True to pattern, Burlinson rebounded with a finish. In March 2023 he submitted the durable 11–8 Jamie Richardson with a third-round rear-naked choke at Cage Warriors 150, reasserting himself as one of the promotion's most dangerous welterweights. The win extended a career defined by a simple, uncompromising principle: when Burlinson's hand is raised, the fight is over before the judges are needed.

Fighting style

Burlinson is a finisher in the purest sense, with all eight of his wins coming inside the distance – six by submission and two by knockout for a 100% finish rate. His jiu-jitsu out of The Dungeon is the centerpiece: he chains takedowns into back control and chokes with a high success rate, favoring the rear-naked and guillotine. He is no one-dimensional grappler, either, with knockout power evidenced by his stoppages on the feet. The honest qualifier is in his two losses, both by knockout, which point to the defensive risks of his aggressive, forward style against heavy-handed opponents – but his pattern of immediately answering every defeat with a finish speaks to his resilience.

Career highlights

• 100% finish rate — finished all eight of his professional wins, six by submission and two by knockout, never needing the judges.
• Bellator finishes — scored a first-round rear-naked choke and a first-round verbal submission in back-to-back Bellator appearances in 2019.
• Resilient finisher — answered each of his two career losses with a submission win, including a third-round rear-naked choke of veteran Jamie Richardson at Cage Warriors 150.