Gilbert Burns Steps in On Short Notice to Fight Alexey Kunchenko at UFC Uruguay

UFC Uruguay lost three of its originally scheduled fights on Monday, but now one has been rebooked with a new matchup.

Alexey Kunchenko was initially set to take on Laureano Staropoli, but Staropoli had to withdraw due to an injury. Now, lightweight Gilbert Burns will move up in weight to take on the Russian. Combate.com was first to report the change.

Burns is on a two-fight winning streak after beating Olivier Aubin-Mercier by decision at UFC 231. The Brazilian then fought Mike Davis at UFC Fort Lauderdale, where he won by submission in the second round. “Durinho” has had trouble making weight in the past. Prior to UFC on FOX 28, he was pulled by the commission as his cut to lightweight was deemed unsafe.

Kunchenko, meanwhile, is 20-0 as a pro and set for his third Octagon appearance. The Russian is coming off of decision wins over Thiago Alves and Yushin Okami. Before that, the 35-year-old had been fighting in M-1. Out of his 20 wins, 14 have come by stoppage.

UFC Uruguay goes down on Aug. 10 and is headlined by a flyweight title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Liz Carmouche.