Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales has shifted events yet again and will now serve as a headliner.
Burns was slated to take on Morales in Saturday’s UFC 314 card in Miami before moving to UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal. Now the pair have been rebooked for a week later, but this time to main event UFC Fight Night 256 May 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN+).
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie after an initial report from UFC Espanol’s Jacque Enriquez on Friday, and the UFC made a formal announcement Saturday during the UFC 314 main card broadcast.
Former title challenger Burns (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) will look to snap a three-fight losing skid, where he most recently lost a unanimous decision to Sean Brady in the UFC Fight Night 242 headliner this past September. “Durinho” hasn’t won a fight since defeating Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287 in April 2023.
Undefeated Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has an opportunity to enter the upper echelon of the welterweight after finishing three of his first five UFC fights. He is coming off a first-round, Performance of the Night TKO of Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 62.
The latest UFC Fight Night 256 lineup now includes:
- Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales
- Ismail Naurdiev vs. JunYong Park
- Tainara Lisboa vs. Luana Santos
- Carlos Hernandez vs. HyunSung Park
- Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig
- Tecia Pennington vs. Luana Pinheiro
- Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
- Denise Gomes vs. Elise Reed
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 256.
