Report: Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns Targeted For UFC 258 on February 13th.

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Bottari - Zuffa LLC & Zuffa LLC

Hoping to meet at the third time of asking, current UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Usman, along with surging title hopeful, Gilbert 'Durinho' Burns have verbally agreed to throw down once again, this time at a proposed UFC 258 event on February 13th.

A pairing of the wrestling ace, Usman, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player, Burns has failed to come to fruition twice before, most recently at UFC 256 on December 12th. coming. Forced out of the second scheduled tie, champion, Usman required sufficient time to recover from a recent injury. Sanford MMA trainee, Burns was himself forced from a UFC 251 matchup with Usman in July in Abu Dhabi, UAE - having tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a report from Twitter user, @philthemmadude - which has since been corroborated by both Marcel Dorff and Raphael Marinho from MMA DNA and Combate respectively, Usman and Burns have both verbally agreed to meet in February.

Usman, a dominant wrestling force, has already knocked back both Jorge 'Gamebred' Masvidal, and Colby 'Chaos' Covington since July and December, respectively - after assuming the throne in a dominant display opposite then-champion, Tyron 'The Chosen One' Woodley in March of last year.

In a unanimous decision showing, Usman defeated BMF titleholder, Masvidal on short-notice, after an entertaining eventual fifth-round knockout win over former interim gold holder and arch-rival, Covington in December at UFC 245. 

Earning his status as number-one contender to the welterweight throne, Brazilian all-rounder, Burns took main event status against the above-mentioned, Woodley at UFC Vegas in May at the UFC Apex facility, scoring a one-sided unanimous decision win.

The victory followed three other wins since his return to welterweight in August of last year, where he defeated Alexey Kunchenko and Gunnar Nelson with judging wins, before stopping fellow grappler and Brazilian, Demian Maia with a first-round knockout in March.