Kamaru Usman sees major stakes on both sides of the Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Malott main event set for UFC Fight Night 273 at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.
Burns enters the matchup with a 22-9 professional record and 15-9 mark in the UFC, but is riding a four-fight losing streak that includes a TKO loss to Michael Morales at UFC Fight Night 256 last May. Malott brings a 13-2-1 professional record and a 6-1 run in the UFC into the bout, and is described as a rising welterweight contender and a sizable betting favorite.
"Maybe I'm picking with my heart as well, but also, I love good odds, and I think Gilbert Burns has all the skills to be able to pull this one off," Usman said, adding, "I think Gilbert has all of the tools to potentially pull this off, especially being such a big underdog."
Usman framed the matchup as a pivotal moment for both fighters. "I think this is a great test for both men because what we saw in Gilbert Burns' last fight, it was almost like he didn't give himself a chance to find that warrior inside himself in that fight vs. Morales. So I think this is a good test to see if he still wants to continue to do this as a job."
"At the same time, for Michael Malott, it's taking on the seasoned, experienced veteran," Usman said. "Can you go out there and expose of the seasoned, experienced veteran? If you can, then you're potentially ready now for the upper echelon fighters in the welterweight division. So I like this for both guys."
