Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns official for UFC 258 next month

A welterweight title fight between champ Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns is now official for UFC 258.

The promotion announced the title bout on the live broadcast for UFC Fight Island 8. UFC 258 takes place on Feb. 13 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The booking, reported earlier this month by MMA Fighting, marks the third time the fight has been scheduled after two previous attempts were scrapped.

Burns, who’s on a six-fight winning streak, was given the title shot after Jorge Masvidal was ruled out of UFC 251 amid a financial dispute with the promotion. When a positive COVID-19 test ruled him out of the fight, Masvidal reached a new deal and stepped in to fight Usman, who defeated him via unanimous decision.

A second bout was targeted for UFC 256 on Dec. 12, but the matchup was scuttled because Usman reportedly needed more time to recover from nagging injuries.

Usman and Burns are former training partners at the now-defunct Blackzilians MMA and Sanford MMA. After Burns became a title contender, Usman moved to Colorado to work with renowned coach Trevor Wittman.

Usman, the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 21, has won 16 straight fights and hasn’t lost a bout since 2013.