Gilbert Burns vs Kamaru Usman — Fight recap

Kamaru Usman retained his welterweight title with a third-round TKO over Gilbert Burns on February 13, 2021, stopping the challenger at 0:34 via referee Herb Dean's stoppage. Usman's superior striking accuracy proved decisive throughout the fight, landing 83 of 136 significant strikes (61%) compared to Burns's 45 of 108 (41%), while accumulating two knockdowns that demonstrated his power advantage.

Burns struggled to implement his grappling game, failing to convert any of his three takedown attempts, and recorded zero control time as Usman dictated the pace. The champion's head strikes (56 of 105) overwhelmed Burns's defense, particularly in the third round when Usman's combinations forced the stoppage.

The loss ended Burns's title aspirations and solidified Usman's position atop the division heading into potential matchups with other elite contenders.