Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has a new and perhaps improved welterweight co-main event booked for the UFC on ESPN+ 18 mixed martial arts (MMA) event on Sat., Sept. 28, 2019 inside Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark.
After longtime 170-pound stalwart, Thiago Alves, was forced to withdraw with an untimely infection (more on that here), veteran bruiser Gilbert Burns has agreed to step up on short notice to collide with jiu-jitsu wizard, Gunnar Nelson.
That’s according to a report from MMA Fighting.
Nelson (17-4-1) was expected to become the next big thing at 170 pounds, thanks to his lethal blend of karate and jiu-jitsu, as well as his 4-0 start to his UFC career. Unfortunately, “Gunni” has been unable to keep that momentum going, mustering up a 4-4 record in the years that followed, including a split-decision loss to Leon Edwards last March.
Burns (16-3) continues to establish himself as one of the toughest outs at 170 pounds, racking up three straight wins over the last year. Like Nelson, “Durinho” is currently unranked in the division Top 15, but could find himself inching closer with a big performance later this month in Copenhagen.
UFC Copenhagen will be headlined by the middleweight showdown between rising prospects Jack Hermansson and Jared Cannonier. Elsewhere on the card, Michal Oleksiejczuk and Ovince Saint Preux hook ‘em up at 205 pounds.
See the current UFC Copenhagen fight card and line up here.