Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns have faced each other hundreds of times in practice. On Saturday they will really do it.
Usman will defend his UFC welterweight title against Burns, his former teammate, 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 also knows a lot about me. He’s different. I don’t care. It’s what he is. We’re going out here, I’ll try to leave him out or introduce him.” lo “.
Usman and Burns had been training together in South Florida since 2012, first with the Blackzilians, then with HKickboxing and finally with Sanford MMA. Usman left for Colorado to train under coach Trevor Wittman last year after the initial fight with Burns was scheduled for July. But Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and withdrew from that fight.
While Wittman will corner Usman, Burns will miss longtime coach Henri Hooft, who has decided to leave him out because he also coached Usman before changing gyms.
Usman, a native of Nigeria, is 12-0 in the UFC: a win below Georges St-Pierre’s record of 13 consecutive UFC welterweight victories. Usman, 33, gets a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 last July.
Burns (19-3) has won six in a row, the most recent by unanimous decision against Woodley last May. The Brazilian is 4-0 since moving to lightweight welterweight in 2019. Burns, 34, is a multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion with power in his hands. He tries to become the first Brazilian to win the UFC welterweight title.
In the main event, Maycee Barber and Alexa Grasso will meet in a battle of promises of promising flyweight women. Barber, 22 (8-1), is trying to bounce back from his first professional defeat, as well as ACL surgery. Grasso (12-3), a 27-year-old Mexican striker, is looking to muster his first streak of wins in the UFC.
Also on the bottom card, former middleweight main rival Kelvin Gastelum is trying to win a losing streak against Ian Heinisch and Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Rodolfo Vieira is trying to stay undefeated in MMA against Anthony Hernandez.
Fight in progress:
Heavyweight (140 lbs): Andre Ewell (17-6, 4-2 UFC, +125) vs. Chris Gutierrez (15-3-2, 3-1-1 UFC, -150)
Results:
Welterweight: Gabe Green (10-3, 1-1 UFC) defeats Phil Rowe (7-3, 0-1 UFC) by unanimous decision
Green got a few punches along the way, but it was his lower leg punches that got the demolition done, did the damage and got his first UFC win.
When the fight was fought at a distance, the tallest Rowe used his range to separate Green. And when the fight went to the canvas, Rowe also showed a jiu-jitsu edge that put him in dominant positions on the canvas, close to establishing submission. But Green dropped him twice in the second round and once again at the start of the third round, all with beef kicks. This was what influenced the judges in a close struggle.
Super gifted 🙏@GiftedGabeGreen opens his first UFC win # UFC258. pic.twitter.com/xgKTfpk01k
– UFC (@ufc) February 14, 2021
For Green, a 27-year-old from Downey, California, victory put him back on track. He lost his UFC debut last May, and finished with a six-win streak.
Tonight it was Rowe whose streak ended. The 30-year-old from Palm Coast, Florida, who was making his UFC debut, entered a seven-fight winning streak that dates back to his third professional fight.
Two judges scored the fight 29-28 for Green, and the third had 30-27.
– Wagenheim
Watch this on ESPN +.
Still 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)
Average weight: Maki Pitolo (13-7, 1-3 UFC, +145) vs. Julian Márquez (7-2, 1-1 UFC, -170)
Average weight: Rodolfo Vieira (7-0, 2-0 UFC, -400) against 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)
Straw weight: Polyana Viana (11-4, 2-3 UFC, +125) vs. Mallory Martin (7-3, 1-1 UFC, -150)
(c) = defending champion