Kamaru Usman changes his training camp ahead of UFC 251 fight against Gilbert Burns
In the lead-up to this next title defense, reigning UFC Welterweight Champion, Kamaru Usman has made a significant change to his training camp. The Nigerian Nightmare has shifted his camp to Denver, under head coach Trevor Wittman.
Usman's next opponent, Gilbert Burns, also shared the same training camp, as the former and the two men have been teammates for a long period of time now. However, now that the two teammates have officially agreed to a fight in the Octagon, the reigning UFC Welterweight Champion has decided to shift his training camp for rightful reasons.
Kamaru Usman changes his training camp ahead of UFC 251 fight against Gilbert Burns
UFC 251 will feature an explosive main event between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, as the two long-term teammates will finally face-off for the UFC Welterweight Championship at the Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, also known as the UFC Fight Island.
In the build-up to his fight, Kamaru Usman has shifted his training camp to Denver and will be training with the likes of Trevor Wittman, who also trains Justin Gaethje and Rose Namajunas. Usman camp will also consist of Jorge Santiago and his brother Mohammed. It could also include the reigning interim UFC Lightweight Champion, Justin Gaethje.
"Florida was the base for a long time, but you grow from there. We always had a ton of guys, some of the best training partners out there and some great coaches. But I wanted a little more specific attention at this point in my career -- someone to be able to say, 'You're going to come in at this time and work on this particular skill.' It's very tough to do that when there are 40 to 50 guys in the room with you who also need to get attention."- Usman told ESPN.
Burns, on the other hand, has remained with the Sanford MMA Team in Florida, and prior to Usman's big change, the two men were sparring partners for several years. 'Durinho' also said that his camp will pretty much be the same for the upcoming title fight against Kamaru Usman.
"Our main coach, Henri Hooft, he stepped out. He said, 'I don't want to go either way. I don't want to pick a side. You guys train. I'll be here at the gym. If you want to train here, we can train. But I'm not going to the fight. For me, it doesn't change too much. It's just a little weird to fight Kamaru. I really like the guy a lot. We've trained together since 2012 or 2013, so we've put a lot of time together."- said Burns.
Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman will square-off on the 12th of July at the UFC Fight Island.