It's one of the most intriguing prefight storylines in combat sports. Teammate versus teammate. Friends turned foes.
In MMA, there's a pretty common stance on teammates fighting each other: They typically refuse to do it -- unless a championship belt is at stake. Well, there will be a belt on the line on Saturday at UFC 258.
Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (17-1) will look to defend his title against longtime teammate Gilbert Burns (19-3) this weekend inside the UFC's Apex facility in Las Vegas. The two were teammates with Blackzilians and then Sanford MMA in South Florida from 2012 to 2020. Only after they were lined up to fight each other last spring did Usman leave to train with coach Trevor Wittman in Denver.