Kevin Burns (4-1) will make his Octagon debut at UFC 85: "Bedlam" at the O2 Arena in London, England, on June 7, stepping up on short notice to take on Roan Carneiro (12-6) in a welterweight tilt, according to UFC.com.
Burns replaces an injured Ryo Chonan -- no specific details of the injury were revealed at this time. It’s the latest hit to a card that has been hit hard –- early an often -– with injuries and replacements.
Here’s his take on the big opportunity:
"He is an extremely tough opponent with great wrestling skills and top positioning. He is definitely looking to take his fights to the ground and look for the submission. He has also fought some of the toughest in the world."
Burns is a Glory Fighting Championships (GFC) and Victory Fighting Championships (VFC) fight veteran – both of which are Midwest-based promotions that are located near his home base of Des Moines, Iowa. He has never gone past the second round in any of his fights, winning a majority if his bouts via submission.
Carneiro dispatched of Tony DeSouza via technical knockout at UFC 79: "Nemesis" in December 2007, elevating his record inside the Octagon to above .500. "Jucao"— who recently signed on to train at American Top Team — has a submission loss to Jon Fitch and a unanimous decision win over Rich Clementi.
The Brazilian –- who is massive for 170 pounds -- was supposed to take on Diego Sanchez at UFC 82: "Pride of a Champion;" however, he had to withdraw from the fight because of an illness.
For the latest UFC 85 card click here.
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