Tyron Woodley vs. Gilbert Burns Targeted For May 23rd UFC Card
Tyron Woodley vs. Gilbert Burns is set to go down at an undisclosed location in a key welterweight bout. Though UFC has three upcoming events slated to go in Florida, this late May card doesn’t seem to be Sunshine state bound. The hope of the promotion seems to be holding this event at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas. This despite Nevada not, as of this writing, articulating a clear path ahead for sporting events to resume.
UFC figurehead Dana White discussed the dialogue happening on this Woodley and Burns fight on a recent episode of the UFC Unfiltered podcast. White stated, “Before I came into this interview, I got a text from Woodley that said, ‘I’m looking for Sean (Shelby). I want this fight on the 23rd.’ That’s what Woodley just told me before this interview, so we’ll see what happens. Burns is the opponent we’re looking at.”
Tyron Woodley VS Gilbert Burns
This bout pits the #1 ranked and #6 ranked contenders at welterweight respectively (per UFC’s ranking system). This is Woodley’s first MMA fight since losing the UFC welterweight championship to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235. The Chosen One has tried to get back to the octagon on a couple of occasions. A Robbie Lawler rematch for June 2019 (canceled due to Tyron’s hand injury). Also, a March fight with Leon Edwards (canceled due to coronavirus related travel restrictions).
Conversely, Burns is riding a five-fight win streak where he transitioned from lightweight to welterweight. Since the jump up from 155lbs, Burns is unbeaten at 3-0 in the UFC’s welterweight class. Durinho has significant wins over Gunnar Nelson via unanimous decision and most recently, Demian Maia via first-round KO. Tyron Woodley versus Gilbert Burns is expected to serve as the main attraction for this event. The card continues to take shape and flesh itself out.
