Former UFC welterweight title challenger, Gilbert Burns, is expected to make his Octagon return against undefeated 170-pound phenom, Michael Morales, as part of the upcoming UFC 314 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for Sat., April 12, 2025 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Ag Fight brought word of the booking on Friday.
Burns (22-8) is mired in a dreadful three-fight losing streak and looking to rebound from his unanimous decision loss to Sean Brady atop the UFC Vegas 97 fight card last September.
As for Morales (17-0), more than a decade younger than “Durinho” at 25, he’s looking to continue his winning ways after destroying Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 96 back in August.
“I think the guy’s very good, high level,” Burns told Show Me the Money podcast. “He’s 17-0 or maybe 18-0. Crazy finishes. He’s very tough, very good, very athletic. I think it’s a tough fight for me. Tough fight for him as well, I think. But as ‘Money’ Moicano says, ‘I cannot afford to lose, bro.’ It’s been three already.”
Gilbert is the opposite of a rank squatter. Fights more ascending beasts than the rest of the top 10 combined.
Great fight
I’m debating on whether or not to attend this card. I was hoping it would be Pereira vs Ankalaev. I’m not really interested in Topuria vs Volk.
https://www.mmanews.com/news/ufc/alexandre-pantoja-vs-kara-france-ufc-314/
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France Set For UFC 314 In Miami On April 12
The card for April’s UFC 314 pay-per-view is beginning to take shape, and it looks to have had its first title fight added.
Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is slated to return to the Kaseya Center in “The Magic City” on April 12, when its fourth numbered event of 2025 will go down.
While the lineup is in its early days of being formed, one of the most prominent spots on the card has seemingly been filled, with UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja (29-5) taking the co-main event for his fourth defense of the title.
Per Benny P — an insider when it comes to Oceanic fighters who has broken news such as Khamzat Chimaev’s withdrawal from the Robert Whittaker fight last June and, more recently, Jack Della Maddalena’s upcoming headliner in London versus Leon Edwards — Pantoja will run it back with Kai Kara-France (25-11, 1 NC) at UFC 314.
“The Cannibal” is riding a seven-fight win streak, during which he’s captured the crown from Brandon Moreno and successfully retained it at the expense of Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, and Kai Asakura.
His first challenger of 2025 looks set be a familiar face in Kara-France, whom the Brazilian defeated by decision in a quarterfinal bout on The Ultimate Fighter 24 back in 2016.
Despite suffering consecutive losses to Moreno and Amir Albazi ahead of his return to action in 2024, “Don’t Blink” looks to have earned his first shot at an undisputed belt at UFC 314 with a thunderous first-round knockout of Erceg at UFC 305 in Perth last August.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 314 on April 12 are as follows:
- Alexandre Pantoja (C) vs. Kai Kara-France (flyweight championship)
- Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales (welterweight)
- Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes (light heavyweight)
- Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan (women’s strawweight)
- Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller (lightweight)
Jandiroba looks like Rob Schneider’s retarded brother.
