Despite an increasingly crowded welterweight division, the UFC is sticking with Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns for its next 170-pound title fight.
Reigning champ Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) will put his belt on the line for the third time when he fights Burns (19-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) on Feb. 13 at UFC 258.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie that both sides have verbally agreed to the matchup following initial reports from Combate and ESPN. The person requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an announcement.
UFC 258, which isn’t officially set, does not have a location or venue. The main card will stream on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+.
The matchup between Usman and Burns has fallen apart twice. In July, Burns was removed from the UFC 251 headliner after testing positive for COVID-19 upon check-in to one of the UFC’s four hub cities from which fighters were flown to the event in Abu Dhabi. Burns was then replaced by Jorge Masvidal.
The fight was rescheduled for UFC 256 on Dec. 12, but some lingering injuries to Usman forced postponement even further.
Usman, 33, has yet to lose a fight in the UFC. After defeating Tyron Woodley to earn the welterweight belt, Usman has successfully defended his title twice. At UFC 245, he defeated bitter rival Colby Covington by fifth-round TKO. Then Usman defeated Masvidal by unanimous decision.
Burns, 34, is currently riding a a six-fight winning streak. He is undefeated since moving up to 170 pounds in August 2019, having defeated Alexey Kunchenko, Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia, and most recently Woodley en route to a title shot.
The latest UFC 258 lineup now includes:
- Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns – for welterweight title
- Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman
- Ian Heinisch vs. Kelvin Gastelum
- Maycee Barber vs. Alexa Grasso
- Gabe Green vs. Phil Rowe