Gilbert Burns will indeed receive his UFC title opportunity, says Dana White.
Burns was set to challenge Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight championship this Saturday evening (July 11). That plan blew up in smoke when Burns tested positive for COVID-19. Jorge Masvidal was able to come to terms with the UFC and will replace Burns.
White Claims Burns Will Meet Winner Of Usman vs. Masvidal
Speaking to reporters during a UFC 251 media scrum, White said that Burns will be getting a crack at the winner of Usman vs. Masvidal down the line (h/t MMAJunkie).
“He’s the No. 1 contender,” White told MMA Junkie following Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins. “He’s the No. 1 ranked guy in the world. Yeah – he’s the No. 1 guy in the world. The kid is hungry. He wants to fight. He wants to be a world champion – and he’s No. 1. Yeah, that puts him in a pretty good spot.”
Burns took to his Twitter account to react to White’s comment.
Usman and Masvidal both made championship weight, making their title bout official. MMA News is set to bring you live coverage of UFC 251. The action takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
UFC 251 will feature two other title bouts. Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski will collide with Max Holloway a second time. Petr Yan and Jose Aldo are scheduled to share the Octagon for the vacant bantamweight gold. Also set for the main card is Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas II and Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant.
Join us this weekend for all the UFC 251 coverage you’ve come to expect from MMA News. We’ll have you covered with live results and highlights, as well as the fallout from all the action at UFC 251. You can also peep our UFC 251 main card predictions here.
