The inclusion of Masvidal on the card is in part an overture to the fight’s host city of Miami, where the U.F.C. has not had an event since 2003, an era in which replays of its fights were made widely available on DVD rather than through streaming video services. Masvidal trains at American Top Team in nearby Coconut Creek, Fla., one of the most prominent gyms in the sport, and is one of the most outspoken personalities in the U.F.C., having once headlined a bout in Madison Square Garden.
U.F.C. President Dana White said in an interview that he wanted to produce a card strong enough to compete with Miami’s other entertainment offerings, such as the beach and the city’s nightlife. “Back in the day, if you were a fight promoter, you either did fights in Las Vegas, Atlantic City or Madison Square Garden,” White said. He added: “We take this thing everywhere, and the way that this thing has grown, it was time to come back.”
Though Masvidal is a draw, he is on a three-fight losing streak, including back-to-back title-shot losses against the former 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman and a decision defeat to Colby Covington, who became a bitter rival to Masvidal after they were once roommates and training partners.
Burns, who also trains in South Florida, has remained near the top of the division’s rankings despite losing to Usman in 2021. Their fight will pit Burns’s grappling against Masvidal’s boxing, and the winner will likely be in line for a title shot in the near future, White said, after Covington fights the current champion, Leon Edwards.
Masvidal, who entered the U.F.C. in 2013 and turns 39 in November, did not say whether he would retire if Burns defeated him, but he did say it would cause a serious reflection, especially if he loses in front of a hometown crowd.
“If I suffer a fourth loss, a lot of evaluation has to take place,” Masvidal said.