Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns gets new date, goes down at UFC 258

A long-awaited welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns has a new date. It’s now scheduled for UFC 258 on February 12.

News of this bout was first reported by Combate and has now been confirmed by MMA Fighting.

Usman, the UFC welterweight champion, was first slated to defend his title against Burns at UFC 251 last July. Regrettably, that bout fell through whens Burns tested positive for COVID-19. Usman then accepted a short-notice fight with Jorge Masvidal, which he won by unanimous decision.

The UFC then attempted to reschedule this Usman vs. Burns fight for UFC 256 in December. Unfortunately, the matchup once again bit the dust when Usman withdrew due to some lingering injuries.

The promotion is undoubtedly hoping the third time is the charm, and that Usman and Burns will finally make it to the cage together at UFC 258 this February.

Kamaru Usman will enter the cage riding one of the best win-streaks in MMA. The Nigerian-American wrestling specialist has won his last 16 fights, including 12 in the UFC’s Octagon. He captured the UFC welterweight title in March, 2019, when he picked up a lopsided, unanimous decision win over long-time champion Tyron Woodley. In his next most recent fight, he defended the belt with a fifth-round TKO win over Colby Covington, which was followed by his short-notice defense against Masvidal. He’s also beaten names like Leon Edwards, Rafael dos Anjos, and Demian Maia.

Gilbert Burns, on the other hand, will enter the Octagon with Usman on a six-fight win-streak. His last four wins have occured in the welterweight division, where’s he defeated Alexey Kunchenko, Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia, and Woodley. Prior to moving to welterweight, Burns enjoyed a nice run at lightweight, beating fighters like Christo Giagos, Alex Oliveira, Jason Saggo and Olivier Aubin-Mercier. His last loss occurred in 2018, when he was knocked out by Dan Hooker.

Who do you think will come out on top when Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns finally collide at UFC 258 this February? Let us know in the comments section below.