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Kamaru
Usman’s next welterweight title defense will come against
Gilbert
Burns, and the bout has been targeted for UFC
256 on Dec. 12.
TMZ Sports was first to report the matchup, and it was later
confirmed to ESPN
by UFC president Dana White. UFC 256 also features a women’s
featherweight title tilt between reigning champion Amanda
Nunes and Megan
Anderson. A location and venue for the event has not been
announced.
Usman and Burns were originally supposed to meet at UFC 251 in Abu
Dhabi on July 11, but Burns was forced to pull out of the contest
after testing positive for COVID-19. Instead, Usman made his second
successful title defense with a clear-cut five-round verdict
against Jorge
Masvidal in the evening’s main event. “The Nigerian Nightmare”
has won 16 straight professional bouts – including 12 in the
UFC.
Burns experienced mixed results at lightweight but has rattled off
four consecutive victories since moving up to 170 pounds. That
streak includes a first-round stoppage of Demian Maia
at UFC Fight Night 170 and a lopsided five-round verdict over
ex-champ Tyron
Woodley at UFC on ESPN 9 on May 30. “Durinho” has won six
straight fights overall in the UFC, a run that includes a pair of
victories at 155 pounds.
