The third time is the charm for Kamaru Usman as his bout against Gilbert Burns will finally push through.
Kamaru Usman is set to defend his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns on February 13. The highly anticipated fight will banner the UFC 258 headline.
A source who requested anonymity told the MMA Junkie that Usman and Burn's camps have agreed to a five-round fight. There is no official announcement from the UFC yet about the Usman vs. Burns bout. ESPN and Combat were the first to report about it.
The promotion for the UFC 258 has yet to reveal the venue. The pay-per-view main card will likely be streamed on ESPN and ESPN+.
UFC 251: Usman vs. Burns
The bout between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns was initially set for July 2020. By that time, Burns was on a six-bout winning streak. His two early wins gave him the access to contend in the 170-pound title fight.
The UFC 251 already made Usman vs. Burns the headline for the main event, but the UFC pulled out Burns at the last minute after he contracted COVID-19. Reports said that Burns tested positive after going to one hub city of the UFC for their upcoming bout in Abu Dhabi.
As a result, the 34-year-old Brazilian fighter was sidelined, and Jorge Masvidal took over his place just six days before the bout.
A perfect timing greeted Jorge Masvidal for the proposed fight. Previously, he had a financial disagreement with Dana White after saying that the UFC wanted him to take less revenue for the bout.
Masvidal was tapped to fight Usman in the title fight, and what intensified the bout was a series of blame game that happened on social media. Usman and Masvidal exchanged words on Twitter following their 'bad blood.'
The Nigerian fighter beat Masvidal via unanimous decision. The win marked his 16th straight victory. The 33-year-old then looked forward to extending his 17-1 record.
UFC 256: Usman vs. Burns
After Masvidal's defeat, the UFC immediately placed Gilbert Burns for the second-chance fight against Kamaru Usman. Now, Burns was ready to clash with the 'Nigerian Nightmare.'
Again, a postponement ruled out the big fight for the two formidable fighters. Kamaru Usman withdrew from the proposal because of his injuries that would take some time to heal. The December match announcement made the fans frown for the second time.
Since 2013, Usman remained unbeaten after emerging victor in his 16 straight fights. The Ultimate Fighter 21 winner snatched the welterweight title from Tyron Woodley in March 2019 to end the American's three-year reign.
Nine months later, Usman sent a strong message to Colby Covington after leaving the octagon with a successful title defense.
Gilbert Burns also won over Tyron Woodley, and he added another feat after conquering Demian Maia in the 170-pound category. Since his transfer in the lightweight division, Burns moved to 4-0.
Usman and Burns were former sparring partners at the Sanford MMA and Blackzillians MMA, which is now out of service.
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