Kamaru Usman defeated Gilbert Burns by TKO in the third round to retain his UFC welterweight championship Saturday night in the main event of UFC 258 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The stoppage came at 34 seconds of the round.
Usman, who was briefly stunned by a Burns right hand in the opening round, took control of the fight in Round 2 when he landed a big right hand of his own that sent Burns staggering toward the cage.
Usman dropped Burns again with a jab early in Round 3 and followed with several big strikes on the ground that forced referee Herb Dean to jump in and stop the fight.
Usman (18-1), 33, has been champion since March 2019 and has three successful title defenses. The Nigeria native, who grew up in Texas, has never lost in the UFC, with 13 straight wins.
Burns (19-4), 34, entered on a six-fight winning streak, including a unanimous decision over Tyron Woodley last May. The Brazil native, who lives and trains in Florida, is 4-1 since moving up to welterweight from lightweight in 2019.
ESPN has Usman as its No. 5-ranked pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world. In the welterweight division, Usman is ranked No. 1 and Burns is No. 5.