UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 Odds, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-In Hype

Leon Edwards shocked the MMA world with his knockout win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, now he'll have to prove it was no fluke against his rival at UFC 286 from the O2 Arena in London, England.

Usman seemed to be winning the fight for the second time they'd met in their careers. That is, until Edwards unleashed a high kick heard 'round the world and ended The Nigerian Nightmare's title reign, which featured five successful defenses.

But there's a saying in the world of combat sports that a fighter isn't a true champion until he defends his belt, and that's the obstacle Edwards will have to overcome here.

Elsewhere on the card, Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev will meet in an important lightweight contender. The two will meet in the co-main event in a fight that will have ramifications for the title picture in the 155-pound division.

Here's a look at the complete card, schedule and odds for the night, along with the latest buzz heading into weigh-ins.

UFC 286 Fight Card, Schedule and Odds

Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Justin Gaethje has an important fight with Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event.

Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 5 p.m. ET)

Leon Edwards +205 ($100 wager wins $205) vs. Kamaru Usman -245 ($245 wager wins $100): for welterweight championship

Rafael Fiziev -230 vs. Justin Gaethje +190

Gunnar Nelson -360 vs. Bryan Barberena +295

Jennifer Maia +145 vs. Casey O'Neill -170

Marvin Vettori -265 vs. Roman Dolidze +225

Prelims (ESPN2/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET)

Jack Shore -500 vs. Makwan Amirkhani +400

Chris Duncan -115 vs. Omar Morales -105

Sam Patterson -275 vs. Yanal Ashmoz +230

Muhammad Mokaev -850 vs. Jafel Filho +600

Early Prelims (ESPN+ at 1 p.m. ET)

Lerone Murphy -180 vs. Gabriel Santos +155

Christian Leroy Duncan -215 vs. Duško Todorović +185

Jake Hadley -380 vs. Malcolm Gordon +310

Joanne Wood -175 vs. Luana Carolina +150

Jai Herbert +160 vs. Ludovit Klein -190

Juliana Miller -435 vs. Veronica Macedo +350

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Usman out to Prove "Extraordinary" Resolve

Alejandro Salazar/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Kamaru Usman has a career-defining fight ahead of him.

Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards are all knotted up at one apiece as they head into their third career fight. But it's a fair question to wonder if Edwards' knockout victory will have any residual psychological effects in their third fight.

Usman scoffs at the notions.

"It's warranted when you're speaking about ordinary things and ordinary people," Usman told media about the idea that the knockout may give his opponent a mental advantage Saturday. "… When a trauma like that happens, most people are gonna be disturbed about it. Yeah, that's when you're speaking about ordinary people. Leon Edwards and I both know that I am not ordinary. I am extraordinary."

The mental aspect of this fight is going to be fascinating. Before the loss, Usman was on track to be one of the greatest fighters of all time, and this rematch offers a chance to get right back on track. Much like Georges St-Pierre's stunning knockout loss to Matt Serra, Usman will have the opportunity to mitigate the blemish on his roster with a dominant performance.

Of course, confidence is a dangerous thing in MMA, and Edwards will likely go into this fight more confident than ever. Even when things aren't going his way, he is going to know that he has the ability to turn the fight with one strike because he has done it before.

Predictions in this fight are a signal of whether one believes Usman is among the greatest of all time. He has made the case and should be able to get his revenge in this one. Edwards landed a near-perfect kick last time, and that's a hard method of victory to duplicate.

Prediction: Usman via fourth-round TKO

Fiziev Hopes to Bring Fight to Gaethje

Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Rafael Fiziev picked up a huge win against Rafael dos Anjos in his last fight.

There's a good argument to be made that Justin Gaethje is the most fun fighter on the planet. Win or lose, there's no such thing as a boring Gaethje fight. The man comes forward and brings the violence every time out.

Rafael Fiziev relishes the challenge. The 30-year-old is excited to bring the fight to his opponent and use his credibility as a fighter coming off a title loss to Charles Oliveira last time out to build his own profile.

"It doesn't matter what [happened] with Charles. I go in and make my job. Touch him with first punch, with second, it doesn't matter. I'm going to take his heart," Fiziev said, per Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting.

It's hard not to get excited for this fight listening to what Fiziev has to say. He has legit knockout power and answered some questions about his cardio with a fifth-round knockout of Rafael dos Anjos last time out.

This one is going to be a barnburner. Gaethje is the underdog, and he's lost two out of his last three, but it's hard to pick against him in a fight that seems like it will play into his strengths.

Prediction: Gaethje via decision

Vettori Ready for "Personal" Fight with Dolidze

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Roman Dolidze is hoping for a breakout performance against Marvin Vettori.

Outside of the main event and the co-main event, the main card kickoff fight between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze might be the most important.

Not only does it have the potential to create a new contender in the middleweight division in Dolidze, but it has a personal angle, too—at least that's how Vettori feels.

"It is a bit personal with Roman, too, in a sense because we actually trained together before and stuff, and we have some good friends in common. He didn't think twice when accepting the fight," he told Farah Hannoun and Abbey Subhan of MMA Junkie.

It's not uncommon for former training partners to wind up fighting each other. The MMA world turns out to be a small one on several occasions. But there's usually some trepidation or at least some lip service paid to brotherhood or loyalty.

It shouldn't be surprising if things get a little chippy at the weigh-ins or in the cage.

Vettori is the favorite here, and that's likely because he has the more successful career to this point. He is 1-2 in his last three fights, but those bouts came against Israel Adesanya, Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker—with the win coming against Costa.

Don't count out Dolidze here, though. He has an extensive grappling background that could negate Vettori's wrestling and enough power on the feet to be dangerous.

Prediction: Dolidze via second-round TKO

---

Gambling Problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.