UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales
| Company type | Sporting event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | May 17, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Global (via broadcast) |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales—also identified as UFC Fight Night 256, UFC Vegas 106, and UFC on ESPN+ 114—was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 17, 2025, held at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
Initially slated to take place at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, the event was ultimately relocated to the UFC Apex for reasons that were not publicly disclosed.
The headline fight showcased a welterweight clash between former UFC Welterweight Championship contender Gilbert Burns and undefeated rising star Michael Morales. This matchup had been postponed multiple times from earlier cards, including UFC 314 and UFC 315.
A heavyweight bout featuring ex-interim challenger Curtis Blaydes against newcomer Rizvan Kuniev was originally on this card but was shifted to UFC on ABC: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. scheduled for June 21. This fight had experienced several reschedulings from events such as UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song and UFC 313, with cancellations attributed to Blaydes’ illness.
The middleweight contest between Jun Yong Park and Ismail Naurdiev was also moved to the June 21 UFC on ABC event.
Additional bouts in the light heavyweight division, including Johnny Walker versus Azamat Murzakanov, along with heavyweight matchups like Serghei Spivac facing Shamil Gaziev, were postponed to subsequent events such as UFC 316.
A heavyweight fight between Hamdy Abdelwahab and The Ultimate Fighter victor Mohammed Usman was rescheduled for June’s UFC on ABC card.
Featherweight prospect Aaron Pico was nearly signed to make his debut against leading contender Movsar Evloev, but this bout ultimately did not come together.
A light heavyweight co-main event between Paul Craig and former interim LFA champion Rodolfo Bellato was canceled during the live broadcast due to Bellato being diagnosed with a herpes infection; this fight was rescheduled for the following month at UFC on ESPN: Usman vs. Buckley.
Additional Honors
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were granted to the following recipients:
- Fight of the Night: Melquizael Costa versus Julian Erosa
- Performance of the Night: Michael Morales along with Denise Gomes