The emotional embrace between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns after their UFC 258 war
Kamaru Usman finished Gilbert Burns via KO/TKO in the main event at UFC 258. Kamaru Usman was looking to defend his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns who had his first shot at the title in his six years at the UFC.
Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns embraced in a deep show of friendship and respect right after the fight. Having been teammates for a long time in Sanford MMA, Florida, the title fight had a lot of emotional significance for both Usman and Burns. Burns broke down immediately after the fight was stopped in the third round as Kamaru Usman went southpaw to drop Gilbert Burns with a right jab that landed flush and followed it up with vicious ground and pound. Daniel Cormier empathized with Burns as he acknowledged the impact that a loss of such caliber can have on a fighter.
Kamaru Usman stated in his post-fight interview that no credit should be taken away from what Gilbert Burns has done for the welterweight division but he leaves all friendship outside the Octagon.
Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns go back a long way
Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns have been teammates for almost 10 years. The two first met in 2012 while training with the now-defunct Blackzilians. After its shutdown, both Usman and Burns moved to Sanford MMA in Florida.
Kamaru Usman moved to ONX sports in 2020 to train under coach Trevor Wittman in preparation for the fight against Gilbert Burns. After his third successful title defense, Kamaru Usman continues to be the undisputed king of the welterweights.