Kamaru Usman defeated Gilbert Burns with a TKO in the third round to retain his UFC welterweight championship on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 258 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The stop came 34 seconds into the tour.
Usman, who was briefly amazed by a right hand of Burns in the opening round, took control of the fight in the second round when a right hand of his landed which sent Burns swaying towards the cage.
Usman threw Burns again with a shot at the start of round 3 and followed with a few big ground kicks. Burns tried to get up, but Usman remained on top, forcing Herb Dean to jump in and stop the fight.
Usman (18-1), 33 years old, is the champion from March 2019 and has three successful title defenses. The Nigerian native, who grew up in Texas, has never lost in the UFC, with 13 straight wins.
Burns (19-4), 34, took part in a series of six-fight victories, including a unanimous decision over Tyron Woodley in May last year. The Brazilian native, who lives and trains in Florida, is 4-1 since moving to the lightweight welterweight in 2019.
ESPN has Usman as the 5th ranked MMA fighter in the world. In the welterweight division, Usman is 1st and Burns 5th.