UFC 286: Fight card, odds and predictions for the Leon Edwards Kamaru Usman title match

Lots of speculation about The main event at UFC 286 between champion Leon Edwards and former champion Kamaru Usman on Saturday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+PPV) at the O2 Arena in London about Osman’s mental state.

been expelled before Perfectly set up and executed header kick by Edwards at UFC 278 in August. 20 in Salt Lake City. This loss ended a 19-fight winning streak that spanned more than nine years, and cost Usman not only the welterweight championship but recognition as the best fighter in the world.

On Saturday, they’ll do it again, sealing the score in the rubber match. Usman won their first meeting in 2015, but Edwards scored the most important win when he knocked out Usman at UFC 278.

Osman is a -250 favorite at BetMGM. Despite being the welterweight champion, Edwards enters the three-way fight as a +200 underdog. The odds aren’t as wide as the last meeting, where Edwards closed just under 3-to-1, but bettors are clearly dropping the potential for a repeat performance from the champ.

Justin Gaethje, who this week referred to himself as The most exciting fighter in UFC historyand Rafael Fiziev, one of the sport’s elite forwards, will battle it out in the lightweight co-main event.

Also featured on the main card was a welterweight showdown between Gunnar Nelson and Bryan Barberena and a flyweight tilt with former title challenger Jennifer Maia taking on rookie prospect Casey O’Neal. Marvin Vettori faced off against Roman Doldizzi in a higher ranked middleweight bout to start the pay-per-view.

UFC 286 picks and predictions

Kevin Iole: Edwards is a world-class striker who can never be dismissed, but Osman has the tools to defuse Edwards and get the win. I’ll bet 250 and bet Osman to win.

Mark Drumheller: In terms of the odds, it seems more likely that Osman will harden his defense and come back to his bread and butter here. This isn’t to say that Edwards isn’t a worthy champion or that the knockout should be remembered as Serra’s death-Georges St-Pierre moment in the modern era, but I find it difficult to see him finish Ousmane again or win enough minutes to take home a decision. St-Pierre was a more methodical fighter after losing his title and used his grappling to limit his damage exposure. I would expect Usman to use a similar strategy to regain his title by picking up a win on Saturday.

Story continues

UFC 286 Live Tracker

UFC 286 Early Preliminaries, Odds (start time 5pm ET, ESPN+)

• middle weight: Leon Edwards (+200) vs. Camaro Osman (-250)

• Lightweight: Justin Gaethje (+190) vs. Rafael Physiev (-250)

• Lightweight: Gunnar Nilsson (-375) vs. (+280) Brian Barberina

• Women’s flyweight: Jennifer Maya (+150) vs. Casey O’Neal (-185)

• Middleweight: Marvin Vettori (-275) vs. (+210) Roman Doldez

UFC 286 prelims, odds (start time 3pm ET, ESPN+)

• Featherweight: Jack Shore (-550) vs. Makoon Amirkhan (+390)

• Lightweight: Chris Duncan (+105) vs. Omar Morales (-115)

• Lightweight: Sam Patterson (-275) vs. (+225) Yanal Ashmuz

• Flyweight: Mohamed Mokayev (-900) vs. (+550) Philo flinched

UFC 286 Early Preliminaries, Odds (Start Time 12:30 PM ET, ESPN+)

• Featherweight: Leron Murphy (-185) vs. Gabriel Santos (150)

• Middleweight: Christian Leroy Duncan (-225) vs. (+185) Dusko Todorovic

• Flyweight: Jake Hadley (-450) vs. Malcolm Gordon (+325)

• Women’s flyweight: Joanne Wood (-175) vs. (+145) Luana Carolina

• Lightweight: Jay Herbert (+165) vs. Ludovit Klein (-210)

• Women’s flyweight: Julianna Miller (-500) vs. Veronica Macedo (+350)