UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will defend his 170-pound title against former teammate Gilbert Burns in the main event of UFC 258 in February, according to multiple sources.
Contracts have not been signed yet, but both sides have agreed to the five-round bout. UFC 258 takes place on Feb. 13. The promotion has not announced a location.
This matchup was originally supposed to happen at UFC 251 in July, however Burns tested positive for COVID-19 in the lead-up and was ultimately replaced by Jorge Masvidal just six days before. Usman (17-1) went on to successfully defend the title against Masvidal via unanimous decision.
Usman, of Nigeria, trained alongside Burns in south Florida for years before relocating his camp to Denver in 2020. He is 12-0 in the UFC, and has defended the belt twice, against Colby Covington and Masvidal. ESPN ranks him the No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Burns, of Brazil, is 4-0 since moving up from the UFC's lightweight division. He catapulted up the 170-pound rankings in 2020, with dominant wins over Demian Maia and former champion Tyron Woodley. He continues to train in south Florida, at Sanford MMA in Deerfield Beach.
