Gilbert Burns

After falling short at UFC 258, what’s next for Gilbert Burns?

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This past Saturday at UFC 258, Gilbert Burns (19-4) finally got his shot at Kamaru Usman (18-1). Burns was originally supposed to fight for the title back in July of last year, but a positive COVID test prevented the fight from happening.

Then, the two were supposed to fight at UFC 256 in December. However, Usman needed more time to recover after sustaining injuries in his last fight. The two finally got their chance to see who was better at UFC 258.

The fight couldn’t have started better for Gilbert Burns. Burns’ speed was blistering and he hurt Usman bad in the opening exchanges. However, Burns got overzealous in going for the kill and it seemed to drain him a bit.

After Burns couldn’t put the champion away, he appeared to be fatigued from an adrenaline dump. Usman started to go to work after that point. With a piston-like jab, Usman started beating up the challenger in the second round.

Between the second and third rounds at UFC 258, Burns was dropped three times before the referee called a stop to the action. Burns was extremely emotional in the octagon after the crushing loss. So after falling short on Saturday, what’s next for Gilbert Burns?

What’s next after UFC 258?

Everything in the UFC’s welterweight division has seemingly turned on it’s head. A week ago, the promotion had Khamzat Chimaev – Leon Edwards booked and they were working on Jorge Masvidal – Colby Covington for The Ultimate Fighter.

However, after the Chimaev – Edwards fight fell through, Dana White said that the UFC is looking at booking Covington – Edwards. With that, it appears that Jorge Masvidal (35-14) is going to get the next title shot after Kamaru Usman called him out on Saturday. 

With knowing these new directions, where does that leave Gilbert Burns? Well, if Colby Covington (16-2) and Leon Edwards (18-3) do fight in March, Burns could take on the loser in his next fight. Perhaps even the winner depending on how the title fight timeline shakes up.

A couple of additional options would be a fight with Michael Chiesa (18-4) or Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1). Those are the opponents that make the most sense for Burns. Gilbert Burns isn’t going away and he’s perhaps only just a win or two away from getting another title shot.

UFC: After post-fight callout, Jorge Masvidal could be next for Kamaru Usman per Dana White

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Kamaru Usman (18-1) was simply brilliant at UFC 258. After getting hurt in the opening exchanges by Gilbert Burns (19-4), Usman started going to work on the challenger. Behind a beautiful jab and pressure, Usman was able to break Gilbert Burns.

In the second round, the UFC champion dropped Burns a few times. In the third round, Burns was dropped again by Usman which led to the end of the fight. Usman was fired up after the fight and demanded that people put some respect on his name.

In his post-fight interview, there was only one name on his mind. That name was Jorge Masvidal (35-14). Masvidal and Usman fought back at UFC 251 in July and Usman won the fight by decision.

Burns was originally supposed to fight Usman that night. However, COVID cancelled that fight. Usman and Masvidal agreed to fight on six days notice. Masvidal has maintained that he would beat Usman if he had a full camp and that hasn’t sat well with the UFC champion.

Usman told Joe Rogan after the fight that “Street Jesus” could have a full camp and he wants to finish him. At the post-fight press conference, Dana White seemed to be interested in the idea.

Will the UFC make it happen?

“If that’s the fight he (Usman) wants. That’s the fight Masvidal wants and I’m sure the people would like to see it too,” White said. Yesterday, White had mentioned that he was into the idea of having Leon Edwards and Colby Covington fight to be the number one contender.

If that fight were to take place, Masvidal wouldn’t have an opponent. At the moment, Usman doesn’t have a clear challenger so the fight does make sense in theory. Also, White has always maintained that he will make the fights that UFC fans want to see.

Given the star power of Jorge Masvidal, I think it’s safe to say that the rematch would be massive. We know that’s the fight Masvidal wants and if Usman is set on it, I think the UFC is going to move in that direction. It’ll be interesting to see how this situation unfolds at welterweight.

Kamaru Usman stops Gilbert Burns at UFC 258

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In the main event of UFC 258, the welterweight title was on the line. The Nigerian Nightmare, Kamaru Usman (17-1), was set to defend his title against his former teammate and top contender, Gilbert Burns (19-3).

If you were going to build the perfect opponent for Kamaru Usman, it would be Gilbert Burns. Burns is a world champion in Jiu Jitsu and he has incredibly fast and powerful strikes on the feet. Since moving to the UFC‘s welterweight division, he’s looked like a killer.

Burns is undefeated at welterweight and he’s earned his shot at the title. While Burns has looked sensational, he had a tall mountain to climb tonight. Heading into his third title defense, Kamaru Usman’s name is already being mentioned with the all-time greats.

Usman’s relentless style and incredible pressure have made him a force in the UFC. He’s started his career inside the octagon at 12-0 and he was looking to tie Georges St. Pierre’s record of consecutive wins with a successful title defense at UFC 258.

UFC 258 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 258 main event got underway with no touch of the gloves after an intense staredown. Burns pushes forward immediately with big shots. Usman looked composed on the outside. Big body kick lands for Gilbert Burns.

A massive right hand drops Usman and Burns is all over him. The speed of Gilbert Burns is astonishing. Usman has regained his composure but he eats a head kick. However, Burns slips and lands on his back.

Usman was hesitant to jump in to the jiu jitsu champion’s guard. The UFC champion looked recovered and he kept throwing thigh kicks to the downed Burns. Burns gets back up and immediately lands a big knee.

Usman was moving forward with his own pressure. A nice left hook lands for Burns that Usman counters with a jab. A big low kick lands for the champ. The pace of Gilbert Burns has slowed significantly.

Big right hand lands for Kamaru Usman. A nice jab from the UFC champion lands. A big combination lands for Burns just before the round ends. Great first round that I give to Gilbert Burns.

Round 2

Usman looked much fresher in between rounds. However, Burns opened with more pressure in the second round. Another nice jab lands for the UFC champion. The jab is keeping Burns on the outside.

A nice low kick lands from Gilbert Burns. The jab of Usman is really doing damage in the second round. Gilbert Burns has slowed significantly in the second round. The UFC champ is finding his groove in the second.

However, a right hand from Burns staggers Usman. Burns turned up the pressure, but Usman stayed composed. A big shot from Usman backs Burns up against the fence. A massive right hand drops Burns and Usman is teeing off.

Burns was staggering all over the cage as the UFC champion was teeing off. Another big jab lands for Usman. Burns is getting lit up in the second round. A jab drops Burns again and the UFC champion was dominating the round.

One minute left in this big second round. Burns looked very wobbly on his feet. Another stinging shot lands for Usman. The second round comes to a close and it’s all even after two in this title fight.

Round 3

Burns looked to be in a lot of trouble before the third at UFC 258. Gilbert Burns took the center to start the third round. A nice leg kick lands for Gilbert Burns, but Kamaru Usman drops him again. A few follow up shots and this one is over. Masterful performance from the champ.

Kamaru Usman def. Gilbert Burns by TKO – Round 3

UFC 258 Preview: Kamaru Usman – Gilbert Burns

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Tomorrow night in the headliner of UFC 258, we will finally get to see the highly anticipated welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman (17-1) and Gilbert Burns (19-3). The former teammates are on a collision course to prove who’s the best welterweight in the UFC.

Kamaru Usman truly lives up to his nickname inside the octagon. The Nigerian Nightmare has terrorized the welterweight division since making his UFC debut back in 2015. Usman is a perfect 12-0 inside the octagon.

Outside of Colby Covington, nobody has even been competitive with Kamaru Usman inside the octagon. Between his pressure, his strength, and his elite grappling control, nobody has been able to stop The Nigerian Nightmare.

At UFC 258, Usman will be going for his third title defense in the welterweight division. His opponent is going to be an extremely familiar face. Gilbert Burns was one of Kamaru Usman’s teammates and lead training partners for years.

The two men helped each other sharpen their skills outside of the cage. Burns was originally a lightweight in the UFC, but he struggled there. Since moving to welterweight, he’s looked like an absolute killer.

Burns is riding a six-fight winning streak heading into UFC 258. He is a world champion in BJJ and he has incredibly fast hands. Combine that with his power and you have someone poised to give Kamaru Usman his biggest challenge yet.

UFC 258 Prediction

This fight is so incredibly fascinating. First and foremost, you have the styles of the two men. If you were going to draw up a perfect opponent stylistically to beat Kamaru Usman, it’d be Gilbert Burns.

However, the UFC champion does things that can give Burns a lot of trouble inside the octagon. One of those being his control along the fence. At times, we’ve seen Burns struggle against guys who can press him against the fence and hold him there.

Kamaru Usman is the best in the division when it comes to clinch control. If Usman gets Burns along the fence and Burns can’t get him off, it could be a long night for the challenger. However, if Usman cannot maintain control over Burns, it could be a long night for the champion.

I’m so torn on the UFC 258 main event. I give the wrestling and the strength advantages to Usman. However, I give the striking and the pure grappling advantages to Gilbert Burns. This fight is truly a 50/50 fight in my opinion.

In my bold UFC predictions for 2021, I predicted that Gilbert Burns would be the welterweight champion. I feel like I can’t go back on that now. While I won’t be shocked at all to see Usman win, I’m going with the underdog here to become the new UFC welterweight champion.

Prediction: Gilbert Burns by Unanimous Decision

Gilbert Burns knows Kamaru Usman’s game and plans on finishing him at UFC 258

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In just a couple of week at UFC 258, we are going to see a welterweight title shot that we’ve waited months for. Former teammates will battle it out as the welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman (17-1), takes on Gilbert Burns (19-3).

Both men trained under Henry Hoof at Sanford MMA in Florida before they were originally scheduled to fight each other. Since the, the UFC welterweight champion has moved his camp to Colorado to train under Trevor Wittman.

Gilbert Burns still trains down in Florida and he’s ready for the challenge of Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. Burns was originally supposed to fight Usman back in July on the UFC‘s first trip to Fight Island.

However, a week out, Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be taken out of the fight. Usman would go on to defeat Jorge Masvidal (35-13) at UFC 251 to retain the welterweight title. A frustrated Burns watched from home as he recovered from COVID.

The promotion paired the two up again for a fight in December, however, the fight was scrapped after Usman needed more recovery time from injuries. Now, we are finally going to see these two lock horns in a couple of weeks.

Burns told ESPN this week that he believes he will not just win, but finish Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. “I believe I’m going to win. I’m training super hard for that and I believe that I am the guy that can finish Kamaru Usman,” Burns told ESPN.

UFC 258’s Welterweight Showdown

On paper, Gilbert Burns has the perfect style to defeat Kamaru Usman. He’s a multiple time world champion in jiu jitsu so you know he’s not going to be afraid of the grappling. He possesses incredibly fast hands with a ton of power.

In many ways, Burns has more advantages than Kamaru Usman at UFC 258 when you go skill for skill. For those reasons, I actually predicted that Burns would defeat Usman in my pre-2021 predictions.

However, Kamaru Usman’s nickname is a true depiction of what he is. He’s a nightmare for anyone in the division. Usman is incredibly frustrating and has the skills to neutralize almost any opponent he faces.

We’ve seen Burns struggle in the past with guys who can hold him against the fence. Well, there might not be anyone better at that than Kamaru Usman. Usman is going to have to employ a Randy Couture game plan to win this one and he’s fully capable of doing that at UFC 258.

There’s a lot to be excited about in this matchup. Both of these top welterweights know each other extremely well from their time training together. They also both possess skills that are issues for the other. This fight is truly a tossup and I’m so excited to see it playout in a couple of weeks.

What’s next Michael Chiesa after UFC Fight Island 8?

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Yesterday, Michael Chiesa (18-4) remained unbeaten at welterweight. In the main event of UFC Fight Island 8, Chiesa took on Neil Magny (24-8). Magny entered the contest on a three-fight win streak after a sensational 2020.

Both men ranked just inside the top ten of the UFC‘s welterweight division. Whoever won this fight was poised to make a run at a top five opponent in their next one. Originally, I thought Magny would have the advantage in a decision fight.

Magny has five-round experience while Chiesa has never gone past the third round. Combine that with the fact that Magny had an active 2020 while Chiesa recovered from injuries and I thought this was going to be Magny’s fight.

I was wrong about that one. At UFC Fight Island 8, Michael Chiesa delivered a fantastic performance that saw him win four of the five rounds on all three judges scorecards. Chiesa looked incredibly in the UFC main event yesterday.

I was really impressed with his ability to land shots on Magny while closing the distance. In addition to that, Chiesa also did a number on Magny in dominating the grappling exchanges. Michael Chiesa made a statement with his win and his callout yesterday after the fight.

What’s next after UFC Fight Island 8?

In his post-fight interview, Chiesa made a big callout of Colby Covington (16-2). The former interim UFC welterweight champion currently doesn’t have a fight lined up and Chiesa made it clear that he wants that fight.

Unfortunately for him, I don’t believe he’s getting that fight. The UFC has made it very clear that they are trying to book Covington against his rival and former friend, Jorge Masvidal (35-14).

With Covington not an option, the UFC has a couple of options in my opinion. In a few weeks, Kamaru Usman (17-1) is defending his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns (19-3). Depending on how that fight goes, I could see the promotion giving Chiesa the loser of that fight.

Another option could be Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1). Wonderboy also doesn’t have a fight, but he’s dealing with some injuries and his timetable for a return is uncertain. Should he be able to go relatively soon, that would be another fun matchup for Chiesa.

Who will be the UFC champions after 2021? (Welterweight – Heavyweight)

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UFC, Jon Jones

Yesterday, I went through the UFC’s flyweight – lightweight divisions and listed out who I believed would be standing as champion after 2021. Unlike 2020, I’m expecting some title to change hands inside the octagon in 2021.

2020 was the first time in the modern UFC era that not a single champion lost their title in a fight. Belts were vacated in 2020, however, if a champion made the walk with the belt, they walked out with the belt.

2021 is promising to be a very tough year for the UFC champions. Every one who is a current title holder is more than capable of holding on to their belts, however, it’s going to be far from easy.

The fights we already know about that are booked look tough on the champions. For example, the UFC is booking Petr Yan (15-1) against Aljamain Sterling (19-3) and Alexander Volkanovski (22-1) against Brian Ortega (15-1,1 NC).

The champions will likely enter the octagon as the betting favorite in both of those matchups. However, I personally see both challengers as the favorites when looking at the skillsets and attributes inside those matchups.

The champions in the heavier divisions are also in for some rough matchups in 2021. Lets go from the welterweight division through the UFC‘s heavyweight division and pick who will be standing as champion after this year.

UFC Champions after 2021 (Welterweight – Heavyweight)

Welterweight – Gilbert Burns

The first division up is the UFC’s welterweight division. Champion, Kamaru Usman (17-1), is booked to face Gilbert Burns (19-3) in the headliner of UFC 258. This fight has been booked a couple of times.

Originally, the two men were supposed to fight at UFC 251. However, Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and didn’t end up getting the shot. The promotion then tried to book this fight for December, but Kamaru Usman needed a little time to heal from his last fight.

Now, these former teammates are finally going to battle. Kamaru Usman lives up to his nickname in that he’s a nightmare for virtually all of his opponents. His strong wrestling and smothering style are incredibly difficult to deal with.

It’s one of the reasons why he hasn’t lost since his second professional fight. Usman is sensational, however, if there’s one man who has the style to beat Usman, it’s Gilbert Burns.

Burns is world class on the ground as a BJJ world champion. Not only that, but in 2020, he showed just how dangerous his hands are. He’s incredibly fast and powerful on the feet. I believe he will have the striking advantage whenever these two fight.

For now, I think that Burns is going to get the job done next month. I just think he has the perfect style to become the UFC champion. In looking at welterweight right now, I’m not sure anyone will take the belt from Burns if he gets it. At least not in 2021.

Middleweight & Light Heavyweight – Israel Adesanya

I’m lumping these next two UFC divisions together because I think one man will hold both titles after 2021. The middleweight and light heavyweight champion after 2021 will be The Last Stylebender, Israel Adesanya (20-0).

After doubting him for a while, I’m completely sold on Adesanya. Every time you start to doubt this man or believe someone will give him problems, he puts on the best performance of his career to shut everyone up.

Very much reminds me of Anderson Silva in his prime in that sense. Adesanya is already the middleweight champion and I don’t see anyone posing a threat to him at 185. I believe he’s just head and shoulders ahead of the competition there.

Adesanya is moving up to challenge Jan Blachowicz (27-8) at UFC 259 for the light heavyweight championship. This is going to be a tough fight for stylebender and Blachowicz is the most powerful fighter that Adesanya has ever fought.

It’s not going to be an easy fight, however, I think when it’s over, Adesanya is getting his second title. I’m not sure what fights will come after that for Adesanya, but I believe he will defeat anyone at either division that’s not named Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC).

Heavyweight – Jon Jones

Last but not least, we have the UFC’s heavyweight division. Who will leave 2021 with the title of baddest man on the planet? Well, I believe that the baddest man on the plan will also have the title as The GOAT.

Jon Jones is currently working on his move to the heavyweight division. Jones vacated his light heavyweight title in 2020 to focus on capturing the heavyweight championship of the world.

Stipe Miocic (20-3) currently reigns at heavyweight. Miocic is the greatest heavyweight in UFC history with two title reigns and a combined four title defenses which is unheard of in the heavyweight division.

Stipe has a very tough test in front of him for his first title defense of 2021. Miocic is taking on Francis Ngannou (15-3) for the second time. This fight is expected to take place in either March or April.

In my heart of hearts, I don’t see Stipe Miocic winning the rematch. He dominated the first fight between the two, but I believe both men are heading in opposite directions. Francis Ngannou is going to become the champion.

However, regardless of who wins, the winner will fight Jon Jones in either the summer or the fall. I think that a motivated Jon Jones beats either one of those men. Yes, Francis has power, but Jones’ striking defense is sensational.

I think his style would keep Ngannou at range and he’d be able to beat him on the cards. At this stage in their careers, I don’t see Miocic being able to beat Jones really wherever the fight goes. With that in mind, Bones will leave 2021 with heavyweight gold.

UFC officially books welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman – Gilbert Burns

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The UFC has finalized a big-time title fight in their welterweight division. While it’s been rumored, the promotion officially finalized the welterweight title fight this evening between Kamaru Usman (17-1) and Gilbert Burns (19-3).

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to break the news that the fight was officially booked. The fight will take place at UFC 258 on February 13th. Usman will be seeking his third successful title defense at welterweight.

Back at UFC 251, Usman successfully defended his title against Jorge Masvidal. However, it was originally supposed to be Gilbert Burns taking on Usman in July. Burns tested positive for COVID-19 just one week before the fight.

Due to the positive test, the UFC pivoted to Masvidal who was the promotion’s first choice to begin with. Prior to the positive COVID test, Gilbert Burns appeared to be on his way to winning fighter of the year in 2020.

Burns started the year by starching Demian Maia then he completely dominated former welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley. Gilbert Burns looks like a completely different fighter in the UFC‘s welterweight division.

In 2020, Burns showed off drastically improved striking. He showed off his speed and his power. That evolved striking pairs nicely with his world class skills on the ground. Burns is the most dangerous challenger for Usman in the UFC.

Big test for the UFC champion

As mentioned, Usman has successfully defended his title twice. Once against Masvidal and the other against Colby Covington at UFC 245. Covington pushed Usman to the limit, but the champion never broke and finished Covington in the fifth round.

Usman is known for his smothering wrestling style that just doesn’t allow his opponents to breathe. However, as he showed in the Covington fight, he is not opposed to letting his hands go if he needs to.

That said, there is no secret to Usman’s game plan. He’s going to look to bully Burns at UFC 258 and hope that his wrestling and strength will allow him to get the advantage. Burns’ tremendous skills on the ground make this matchup so fascinating. I’m pumped up for this one.

Two UFC bold predictions for 2021

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Francis Ngannou

Thankfully for the world, 2020 is officially behind us. While it was a pretty terrible year across the board, the UFC accomplished some major things last year. The biggest MMA promotion in the world was the first major sport to return after the pandemic hit.

Dana White and the crew at the UFC deserve a lot of credit for what they pulled off. In addition, the promotion also delivered card after card of incredible fights. We saw new champions crowned and fights that made us stand up and applaud from home.

2021 is promising to be a very exciting year for the UFC. The promotion already is kicking off the year in Fight Island with some incredible fights. Most notably the rematch between Conor McGregor (22-4) and Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC).

There are so many compelling matchups in the UFC this year. There are so many interesting storylines as well. With that, I wanted to get bold with a few predictions for the UFC in 2021.

Now, I’m not saying these are official picks or guaranteeing this will happen. However, my gut is telling me that these two predictions will come to fruition and when they do, some UFC fans are going to be shocked.

2021 UFC bold predictions

Stipe Miocic doesn’t last one round with Francis Ngannou

For my first bold prediction, I’m looking at the UFC’s heavyweight division. The current plan is for Stipe Miocic (20-3) to defend his title against Francis Ngannou (15-3) in March. However, the fight is not finalized at this time.

This fight is a rematch from UFC 220. The narrative going into this fight is going to be a lot like the first one. Whenever they first were paired together, many believed that Ngannou’s power would be too much for Stipe Miocic.

However, Stipe completely dominated Ngannou and won a shutout decision. Since then, Miocic has only fought in a trilogy with Daniel Cormier where he’s gone 2-1. Ngannou lost his next fight to Derrick Lewis, but after that, he’s looked inhuman.

The Predator has knocked out four straight opponents with none of them getting past 71 seconds. He’s training like a mad man and he is desperate to become the UFC’s heavyweight champion of the world.

Ngannou went into the first fight completely overconfident. He didn’t think Miocic could handle him, and he was wrong. His training is different now and I think he’s going to be better than ever when they fight.

On the other hand, I personally don’t believe Stipe is as good as he was when they fought the first time. I think when they rematch in March, Stipe is going to fall in the first round and Francis Ngannou will be the new UFC heavyweight champion.

Gilbert Burns dethrones Kamaru Usman

For my second and final bold prediction, I’m taking a look at the UFC’s welterweight title. Champion, Kamaru Usman (17-1), is tentatively booked to defend his title against Gilbert Burns (19-3) in February at UFC 258.

To this point, nobody has been able to solve Kamaru Usman. Colby Covington pushed him to the absolute limit, but Usman was ultimately able to finish Covington in that fight. It’s extremely difficult to deal with the style of Usman.

He’s incredibly strong, he’s got tremendous power, and he has phenomenal wrestling which he uses to control his opponents. Whether on the ground or against the fence, Usman’s control is something that fighters struggle to deal with.

However, if there’s anyone in the UFC who has the style to beat Usman it’s his former teammate, Gilbert Burns. As Burns was on the rise, it was his BJJ skills that everyone was incredibly impressed with. Burns is one of the best Jiu Jitsu practitioners in the sport.

However, it’s his striking that’s blown me away this year. Burns is incredibly fast and extremely powerful with his hands. He knocked out Demian Maia on the feet and dropped Tyron Woodley when they fought earlier this year.

On the feet, I believe that Burns is going to have a big advantage at UFC 258. He’s got the speed to give Usman fits. His skills as a grappler are also going to cause problems for Usman in my opinion.

Now, would I be shocked if Usman is able to use his strengths to grind out a decision? No, I mean he’s the UFC champion for a reason. However, I truly believe that Gilbert Burns is a nightmare matchup for him. For that reason, we will see a new welterweight champion next month.

State of the UFC’s welterweight division entering 2021

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Overall, 2020 turned out to be a relatively slow year in the UFC‘s welterweight division. After Kamaru Usman (17-1) and Colby Covington (16-2) had a war to end 2019 for the title, we only saw one title fight in the division during 2020.

That title fight took place at UFC 251. Kamaru Usman defended his title against the BMF himself, Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal (35-14). Masvidal had a massive 2019 that made him the top contender in the welterweight division.

However, putting the fight with Usman together proved to be difficult. The fight actually fell apart before it came back together. Negotiations broke down between the UFC and Masvidal when the two sides were trying to make the fight.

As a result, the promotion shifted gears to Gilbert Burns (19-3). Burns became a top contender after he smashed former champion Tyron Woodley (19-6-1) and knocked out Demian Maia (28-10).

Burns was all set to take the fight against Usman at UFC 251. However, Burns tested positive for COVID and the fight was scrapped. That’s how we ultimately got back to the fight between Usman and Masvidal.

UFC’s Welterweight Division in 2021

Usman would go on to use his steady wrestling attack to secure a decision win over Masvidal at UFC 251. However, Usman would be out the remainder of 2020 after getting banged up in the fight.

Tentatively, the UFC is planning on Usman and Burns facing off on February 13th for the welterweight title. The promotion also has their eyes on a grudge match in the division that promises to be big business.

The UFC is trying to book Masvidal against Covington. The two former best friends are now sworn enemies and can’t stand each other. The promotion has been trying to put the fight together, but it’s developed extremely slow.

That fight is one of the more anticipated matchups of 2021. Another fighter to watch this upcoming year is Leon Edwards (18-3). Edwards has won eight fights in a row and he was supposed to take on the star prospect, Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) on January 20th.

However, we learned yesterday that Chimaev had to pull out of the fight. The plan is still for Edwards to fight on January 20th. In addition to all of these contenders, you still have Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1) in the mix.

Wonderboy just picked up a shutout victory over Geoff Neal at UFC Vegas 17. Thompson has turned away two straight top contenders to show everyone he’s still a factor at 170 pounds.

Kamaru Usman’s toughest stylistic matchup is his first fight of the year. After Burns, the division is filled with killers waiting for their chance. Usman is going to have his hands full trying to hold on to his UFC gold in 2021.