Burns (Still) Waiting For Usman Contract

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is scheduled to defend his 170-pound title against top division contender Gilbert Burns in the UFC 258 pay-per-view (PPV) main event on Feb. 13, 2021.

Unfortunately for “Durinho,” who was expected to battle the “Nigerian Nightmare” last summer before getting taken out by coronavirus, the promotion has yet to send him a contract, a troubling sign after a series of delays.

“The fight was postponed to January 23, and I was just like, ‘Wow, okay, no problem. We’re going to keep working and getting better.’ Boom, then they’re targeting February 13 but we still haven’t seen the contract,” Burns told John Hyon Ko (transcribed by Adam Martin). “But I’m looking forward. I got a good word from Dana and from the UFC that that’s the date they’re looking for. Now I’m just waiting on the contract and getting better.”

Burns (19-3) has rattled off six straight wins, including last May’s unanimous decision victory over Tyron Woodley in Las Vegas. As for Usman (17-1), he’s yet to taste defeat under the UFC banner, having recently disposed of Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251.

In a perfect world, Usman vs. Burns would happen on the same card as the recently-postponed showdown between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev. This would keep both champion and top contender on the same schedule for the second half of 2021.