Ricky Simon vs. Brian Kelleher, Bantamweight
While the combative styles of Simon and Kelleher are very different, their courses through the UFC have had quite a few similarities. After finding early success upon entry, they hit a rough patch and have largely been able to right their ship as of late. The likelihood of the winner of this contest getting a crack at a ranked opponent is very good.
While there’s no doubt both have the attitude Uncle Dana likes to see out of his contracted fighters, Kelleher is the one who employs the fighting style favored by the President. Closing in on his ten year anniversary as a pro, Kelleher is one of the more experienced bantamweights on the roster. He’s not much of an athlete and pays little mind to defense, but he packs a wallop and has picked up enough tricks of the trade to maximize his high-risk, high-reward style. There is a limit to his ceiling as he has been finished by the best athletes he has faced, but he’s secured his share of u
UFC 258 undercard preview: Complete online breakdown, predictions for first three (of seven) "Prelims" matches on ESPN/ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., Feb. 13, 2021) in Las Vegas: Simon vs. Kelleher, Green vs. Rowe and Robertson vs. Maverick.
February 9, 2021
The welterweight title will be on the line this weekend in the main event of UFC 258 when former teammates meet in Las Vegas.
Champion Kamaru Usman attempts to defend his belt against challenger Gilbert Burns. The two men were originally scheduled to clash on Fight Island at UFC 251, but Usman instead fought and defeated Jorge Masvidal after Burns tested positive for COVID-19. Now, the pair face off inside the smaller Octagon at the UFC Apex.
Burns earned this title shot by putting together a six-fight winning streak that includes victories over Demian Maia and former titleholder Tyron Woodley. Usman’s win over Masvidal marked his second successful defense of the belt he won from Woodley. The “Nigerian Nightmare” remains perfect since a 2013 loss in the second fight of his pro career and now sits at 17-1 overall inside the cage.
Image: @ufc on Instagram
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to pay-per-view next weekend as Kamaru Usman prepares to defend his Welterweight Championship against rising contender and former teammate Gilbert Burns.
Event: UFC 258: Usman vs. Burns
Date: Saturday, 13th February 2021
Location: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast: ESPN+ – 8pm/10pm EST
Usman has set the standard at 170 pounds over the course of the last few years with big wins over Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal to firmly establish himself as the world’s best welterweight. However, the aforementioned Burns has slowly but surely been coming up through the ranks as an intriguing challenger.