Three-time IBJJF World Champion Gilbert Burns has now had his first UFC title shot delayed for a second time, again for reasons completely out of his control. The elite grappler put together a six-fight win-streak against some of the very best competitors in the UFC Welterweight division in order to be given his first title shot in the promotion, including ex-champion Tyron Woodley and fellow BJJ superstar Demian Maia. His fight against current reigning champion Kamaru Usman was originally scheduled for July 11th, 2020 at UFC 251, until Burns tested positive for Coronavirus.
This led to him being pulled from the card on just eight day’s notice as the promotion scrambled to find a replacement. This is what led to Jorge Masvidal being called up at the last-minute to challenge Usman for the title in a fight he would go on to lose by Unanimous Decision. After Usman’s successful title-defense, Burns was given a second chance at the end-of-year PPV, UFC 256 on December 12th. Sadly, news has just broken that Usman has decided that he needs more time to prepare for the fight after having to recover from undisclosed injuries.
There was originally rumors that Nate Diaz would make his return for a rematch with Masvidal on the same card at UFC 256, although it has since been confirmed that this will not happen. The latest update courtesy of ESPN is that the Gilbert Burns will still get his shot at the UFC Welterweight title, but it has been postponed to an unknown event taking place in 2021 instead.
