Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns, Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz 2 in the works (Updated)

Take two for Gilbert Burns to get his shot at becoming UFC welterweight champion.

TMZ Sports reported on Tuesday that Burns is set to challenge Kamaru Usman for his title, this time at UFC 256 on December 12th. The pair was originally supposed to square off at UFC 251 in July, but Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and was replaced by Jorge Masvidal.

UPDATE: Gilbert Burns disagrees that the fight is set. TMZ and ESPN also both state that Diaz vs Masvidal 2 will instead be a main event on a later PPV, possibly in January.

Speaking of Masvidal, a rematch between him and Nate Diaz is also in the works for this card. In their first meeting, Masvidal (35-14) had a one-sided win over Diaz in his preceding bout at UFC 244 to become the “BMF” champion. Diaz (20-12) suffered a cut in that contest that led to the end just before the start of round four, much to his displeasure and the anger of fans.

Getting back to the main event, Usman (17-1) is going for his third consecutive title defense since taking the belt away from Tyron Woodley last year. He won a thriller vs. Colby Covington at UFC 245 before the comfortable decision victory over Masvidal. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has yet to lose inside the Octagon and has seldom been seriously challenged.

Burns (19-3) is on a six-fight winning streak, with four of those wins coming at 170 lbs. “Durinho” dominated Tyron Woodley in May to earn his title shot, but he really established himself as a legitimate contender with his first-round TKO of Demian Maia in March. He was a former training partner of Usman down in Florida before Usman moved his camp to Colorado to be coached by Trevor Wittman.

UFC 256 also features a women’s featherweight title fight between two-division champion Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson.