Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns have met hundreds of times in practice. On Saturday, they will do it for real.
Usman will defend the UFC welterweight title against Burns, his ex-sparring, in the UFC 258 main event in Las Vegas.
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“I know a lot about Kamaru,” Burns told ESPN. “I know exactly how he wants to fight. I know a lot about him. On the other hand, he knows a lot about me too. It’s just different. I don’t care. It’s what it is. I’m going outside, I’m going to try to knock him out or finish it. “
Usman and Burns have been training together in South Florida since 2012, first with Blackzilians, then with HKickboxing and finally with Sanford MMA. Usman left for Colorado to train with coach Trevor Wittman last year, after the initial fight with Burns was scheduled for July. But Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and gave up on that fight.
While Wittman will corner Usman, Burns will be absent from longtime coach Henri Hooft, who decided to stay out because he also trained Usman before he changed academies.
Usman, a native of Nigeria, has 12-0 in the UFC – one win less than Georges St-Pierre’s record of 13 straight wins at UFC welterweight. Usman, 33, comes from a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 last July.
Burns (19-3) won six in a row, the most recent unanimous decision win over Woodley last May. The Brazilian has been 4-0 since moving up to the lightweight welterweight in 2019. Burns, 34, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion several times with power in his hands. He is trying to become the first Brazilian to win the UFC welterweight title.
In the main co-event, Maycee Barber and Alexa Grasso will face off in a battle of promising women who reach the flyweight. Barber (8-1), 22, is trying to recover from his first career loss as well as ACL surgery. Grasso (12-3), a 27-year-old Mexican striker, wants to make her first winning streak in the UFC.
Also in the tie, ex-top middleweight Kelvin Gastelum tries a losing streak against Ian Heinisch and Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Rodolfo Vieira tries to remain undefeated in MMA against Anthony Hernandez.
Fight in progress:
Weightweight (140 pounds): Andre Ewell (17-6, 4-2 UFC, +125) against Chris Gutierrez (15-3-2, 3-1-1 UFC, -150)
Results:
Welterweight: Gabe Green (10-3, 1-1 UFC) vs. Phil Rowe (7-3, 0-1 UFC) by unanimous decision
Recap to come.
Yet to come:
Welterweight: Kamaru Usman (c) (17-1, 12-0 UFC, -270) vs. Gilbert Burns (19-3, 12-3 UFC, +220)
Women’s flyweight: Maycee Barber (8-1, 3-1 UFC, +105) vs. Alexa Grasso (12-3, 4-3 UFC, -125)
Average weight: Kelvin Gastelum (16-6 1 NC, 10-6 1 NC UFC, -220) vs. Ian Heinisch (14-3, 3-2 UFC, +180)
Men’s featherweight: Ricky Simon (17-3, 5-2 UFC, -240) vs. Brian Kelleher (22-11, 6-4 UFC, +200)
Middleweight: Maki Pitolo (13-7, 1-3 UFC, +145) against Julian Marquez (7-2, 1-1 UFC, -170)
Average weight: Rodolfo Vieira (7-0, 2-0 UFC, -400) vs. Anthony Hernandez (7-2 1 NC, 1-2 1 NC UFC, +310)
Welterweight: Belal Muhammad (17-3, 8-3 UFC, -490) vs. Dhiego Lima (17-7, 4-5 UFC, +370)
Strawweight: Polyana Viana (11-4, 2-3 UFC, +125) against Mallory Martin (7-3, 1-1 UFC, -150)
(c) = current champion