Kamaru Usman will meet Jorge Masvidal for the UFC welterweight title next weekend in Abu Dhabi, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported Sunday.
At UFC 251 on Saturday, Masvidal will replace Gilbert Burns, who withdrew on Friday and reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
Helwani reported that Masvidal was in Las Vegas and Usman heading there on Sunday afternoon. There, they will take a coronavirus test and quarantine in their assigned hotel while waiting for the results. If the test is negative, they’ll fly to Abu Dhabi. If the test is positive, the fight will be called off.
They will be subject to COVID-19 tests in Abu Dhabi, as well.
Masvidal and Usman are longtime rivals whose feud boiled over in a clash on radio row before the Super Bowl in February.
Masvidal (35-13) has won three straight fights, most recently against Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November.
UFC 251 has two other title fights on the docket, with Alexander Volkanovski facing Max Holloway for the featherweight title and Petr Yan battling Jose Aldo for the bantamweight belt.
–Field Level Media
