UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will defend his 170-pound title against former teammate Gilbert Burns in the UFC 258 main event in February, according to several sources.
The contracts have not yet been signed, but both sides have agreed to the five-round fight. UFC 258 takes place on February 13. The promotion has yet to disclose location.
This confrontation should have originally taken place at UFC 251 in July, however Burns tested positive for COVID-19 in preparation and was replaced by Jorge Masvidal just six days earlier. Usman (17-1) successfully defended the title against Masvidal by unanimous decision.
Usman, from Nigeria, trained alongside Burns in South Florida for years before moving to Denver in 2020. He is 12-0 in the UFC and has defended the belt twice, against Colby Covington and Masvidal. ESPN classifies him as the No. 5 pound per pound fighter in the world.
Burns, from Brazil, is 4 to 0 since leaving the UFC lightweight division. He catapulted the 170-pound ranking in 2020, with dominant victories over Demian Maia and former champion Tyron Woodley. He continues to train in South Florida at the Sanford MMA in Deerfield Beach.