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Kamaru Usman’s next title defense will have to wait. According to reports, the welterweight champion’s planned bout against Gilbert Burns at UFC 256 in December has been scrapped.
ESPN.com was first to report the news.
According to MMAFighting.com, the Usman vs. Burns bout was never officially scheduled for the UFC 256 pay-per-view and the UFC will look to reschedule the bout for early 2021.
Burns was initially set to fight Usman at UFC 251 but was replaced by BMF champion Jorge Masvidal after testing positive for COVID-19.
UFC 256 is currently scheduled for December 12 and two-division women’s champion Amanda Nunes is expected to defend her featherweight title against Megan Anderson.
The report also states the Ultimate Fighting Championship is looking into the potential of adding a heavyweight championship bout between current titleholder Stipe Miocic and top contender Francis Ngannou for the pay-per-view event, though negotiations are ongoing and the potential bout is currently viewed as a “long shot” to take place.
