UFC returns to its spiritual home of the UFC APEX in Las Vegas this weekend (May 17) for the first time since UFC on ESPN: Emmett vs Murphy at the start of April. The feature event sees the journeyed cage warrior, Gilbert Burns, pitted against the talented and unbeaten rising star, Michael Morales, in an intriguing welterweight tussle. The South American pair finally get it on after they had been originally scheduled to clash at either UFC 314 or 315.
It seems like an age ago since Gilbert Burns was heading to UFC 258 on a high, after recording six straight wins, to challenge the then welterweight king, Kamaru Usman. Fast forward four years, following that TKO defeat to Usman, and Burns could well be supping at the last chance saloon, having lost three on the bounce against fighters who have similar profile to Morales. Within the space of 16 months, the Brazilian star had suffered defeats to Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, and Sean Brady, who all went on to make significant impacts on the welterweight scene. Burns’ most recent setback was a unanimous decision loss against Sean Brady last September, which saw him slip further down the division rankings to 8th spot.
While Burns is striving to cling on to a top-10 position, a surging Michael Morales is dreaming of boosting his credentials further and becoming one of the leading welterweight players. Not only is the Ecuadorian unbeaten since making his promotional debut at UFC 270 in January 2022, he’s also never tasted defeat during his entire 17-fight MMA career dating back to 2017. Morales hasn’t looked back since joining Dana White’s elite fighting crew, cruising through his first five UFC bouts, including a 1st round stoppage win over Neil Magny in his most recent encounter last August.
Let GOAL show you all the vital information you need to know ahead of UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Morales, including the full fight card details and how you can watch or stream all the action live.
When will UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Morales take place?
Date | Saturday, May 17 |
Location | UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada |
Time | The prelims start at 4 pm ET |
Main event ring walks (approx) | 10 pm ET |
The UFC Apex is a live events and production centre in Enterprise, Nevada. The venue hosts events held by the UFC and WWE, as well as events of the Dana White-owned Power Slap league. The facility's location was chosen in part due to its close proximity to the UFC Performance Institute, which serves as the UFC's headquarters and is located across the street.
The Apex was built to host live events as well as studio shows. The facility, which was officially opened in June 2019, proved an important venue during the COVID-19 pandemic, with all US-based UFC events being held at the Apex behind closed doors for a substantial period. Numerous and regular UFC Fight Night and UFC on ESPN events have been held at the venue over the past five years. This will be the fifth UFC card of 2025 held at the Apex.
How to watch UFC Fight Night: Gilbert Burns vs Michael Morales
UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Morales, plus the other UFC Fight Night main card bouts and prelims, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with streaming available via the ESPN+ app. This is a standalone service from regular ESPN, so you don’t need to be an existing TV subscriber. You can download the app for PC, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Roku, Smart TV, and many others. One month of ESPN+ is $11.99 (1 month (disney+/hulu) of ESPN+ is $16.99, 1 month (disney+/hulu no ads) of ESPN+ is $26.99), and 1 year costs $119.99.
Watch UFC Fight Night: Gilbert Burns vs Michael Morales from anywhere with a VPN
If UFC Fight Night: Gilbert Burns vs Michael Morales isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're traveling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favorite streaming services from anywhere.
Stream live anywhere in the world with Nord VPNUFC Fight Night: Gilbert Burns vs Michael Morales Card
Weight class | Fight |
|---|---|
Welterweight | Gilbert Burns vs Michael Morales |
Light heavyweight | Rodolfo Bellato vs Paul Craig |
Lightweight | Sodiq Yusuff vs Mairon Santos |
Middleweight | Dustin Stoltzfus vs Nursulton Ruziboev |
Featherweight | Julian Erosa vs Melquizael Costa |
Lightweight | Gabe Green vs Matheus Camilo |
Gilbert Burns MMA stats
- Age: 38
- Height: 5’10"
- Reach: 71"
- Total fights: 30
- Record: 22-8/li>
Michael Morales MMA stats
- Age: 25
- Height: 6’0"
- Reach: 79"
- Total fights: 17
- Record: 17-0