Kamaru Usman defeated Gilbert Burns for TKO in the third round to retain his UFC welterweight championship Saturday night at the UFC 258 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The stop came at 34 seconds of the round.
Usman, who was briefly stunned by a right hand from Burns in the first round, took control of the fight in the second round when he landed a large right hand that caused Burns to step into the cage.
Usman dropped Burns again with a punch early in the third round and continued with several big hits to the ground that forced referee Herb Dean to jump in and stop the fight.
Usman (18-1), 33, has been champion since March 2019 and has three successful defenses. The Nigerian native, who grew up in Texas, has never lost in the UFC, with 13 straight wins.
Burns (19-4), 34, took part in a six-fight winning streak, including a unanimous decision over Tyron Woodley last May. The Brazilian, who lives and trains in Florida, is 4-1 since moving to the lightweight welterweight in 2019.
ESPN has Usman as its pound-for-pound MMA fighter at number 5 in the world. In the welterweight division, Usman is No. 1 and Burns is No. 5.