UFC 286 Preview & Prediction: Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman

UFC 286 Preview & Prediction: Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman

By Cathal Geeney

The UFC returns to London with Leon Edwards looking to make his first UFC welterweight title defence against Kamaru Usman, as the pair meet for the third time.

The two first met in December 2015 when Kamaru ran out as a pretty comfortable winner by unanimous decision. While Edwards started off strong, the pressure from Usman was relentless and the Jamaican-born fighter could not prevent the takedowns of his opponent.

Their second encounter was going along the same lines. Although Edwards surprised many when he secured a takedown in the first round, the momentum swiftly shifted in the favour of the Nigerian Nightmare. Usman secured at least one takedown in each of the next three rounds and was up three rounds to one going into the fifth. It all changed when Leon Edwards went on to produce one of the most iconic moments in MMA history, landing a clean head kick stopping the fight and rendering Usman unconscious in the process.

The stage is set perfectly for their third meeting with the winner taking all.

 Leon Edwards has proved everyone wrong to date. His style isn’t necessarily the most explosive or exciting, it is based more on a balance. He is well-rounded and possesses excellent kickboxing skills and a surprisingly strong grappling skillset for someone that did not start training MMA until the age of seventeen. But can he prove that he deserves to be the kingpin at 170-pounds and that his last victory was not just a fluke knockout?

While for Kamaru Usman, he was the most dominant welterweight champion since George St Pierre, having made five successful defences prior to his loss. The major question going into this weekend’s showdown is what sort of impact the knockout will have on Usman. Will he be more tentative than usual? Will he be second-guessing himself for fear of getting caught again? Or can he get back on track, avenge his loss, and continue his quest to go down as the greatest welterweight fighter of all time?

In terms of the fight itself, while a whole lot has changed in the world since they first met, the fight breakdown remains largely the same. Usman will look to use every bit of extensive wrestling experience to put the pressure on Leon and keep him pressed against the cage or on the canvas. While for Edwards, his success is likely to rely on his ability to repel the offensive wrestling advances of his opposite number and utilise his technical striking while mixing in his dangerous elbows in the clinch and getting the respect early on, to the point where Usman starts backing off.

And while he will once again enter the octagon as the underdog, Edwards will not be fazed by this. The Birmingham -based fighter has overcome much bigger odds to be in the position he is in today. The thirty-one-year-old has spoken openly in the past about his difficult upbringing, surrounded by poverty in Jamaica before emigrating to England where he lost his father to gun violence a number of years later. The titleholder is now an advocate against knife violence in the UK in addition to his career as a martial artist.

Both fighters have experienced adversity inside and outside of the octagon and this should prove to be another memorable night for all.

Prediction:

I can not wait to see how this fight unravels. The energy in the 02 Arena is going to be something else and it will be fascinating to see how both fighters respond to it. The only shame is that no matter what happens, it’s going to be almost impossible to match the outcome of their last meeting.

I think Usman has shown enough in his reign as champion to give me reason to believe he will regain his belt. The biggest challenges facing him are arguably mental issues. Bouncing back from being knocked out and being in enemy territory could be too much for some. But I foresee Usman keeping his head down and getting back to what he does best, mixing in his long straight strikes with his dominant wrestling and getting a victory on Saturday night.

Kamaru Usman

Photo Credit: UFC