The Welterweight Champ Continues HIs March Towards History Saturday Against Former Teammate Burns By Zac Pacleb, on Twitter: @ZacPacleb • Feb. 12, 2021 Kamaru Usman channels his inner Allen Iverson, the iconic NBA superstar, when explaining why his former training partner Gilbert Burns shouldn’t invest too much hope into the time they spent together at Sanford MMA. “We talkin’ bout practice,” Usman told UFC.com. “It’s different when you step inside that cage. It’s a whole different savage, and he’s going to realize that.” The “training partners turned foes” narrative has dominated the lead-up to their welterweight title fight at UFC 258. It’s understandable. For years, the two helped each other prepare for their fights as they made their way up the rankings, and when Burns originally earned a title shot last summer, it was Usman, the incumbent champion, who left South Florida for Colorado.