Mixed martial arts are alive and well this March, as the UFC continues to bring a plethora of fantastic events this month. After an epic Jon Jones vs. Cyril Gane clash a fortnight ago that ended in Jones becoming the UFC Heavyweight Champion, fans will be treated to an equally exciting contest this weekend, with a trilogy fight between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman for the UFC Welterweight Championship.
In August last year, Leon Edwards shocked the UFC welterweight division (but not us) by knocking out Kamaru Usman in the fifth round of their championship fight. Usman had previously beaten Edwards, was ahead in that fight and hadn’t lost a match in over a decade.
Now, the third fight between these men is set to produce an absolute spectacle as Edwards looks to prove his victory was no fluke in front of a home crowd in London. We break down the best bets to make in this Usman vs. Edwards 3 betting preview.
| Event: | UFC 286 Main Event, for UFC Welterweight Championship |
| Venue: | O2 Arena, London, England |
| Date: | March 18th, 2023 |
| Time: | From 01:00 PM EST |
This will be the third meeting between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman. The results are split either way – Usman won the first encounter in 2015 by way of unanimous decision, while Leon Edwards won their most recent meeting in August 2022 with a vicious head kick in the final minute of the fight.
Here’s a look at the latest Edwards vs Usman 3 odds from the top payout sportsbooks around the world that will inform our Edwards vs. Usman III predictions:
Looking at these live sports betting odds, we can see that Kamaru Usman is the moderate favorite to win despite losing their most recent encounter. Those who want to bet on MMA online can choose between odds of 1.40 (2/5) for Usman or 2.90 (19/10) for Edwards.
Many sportsIn-play modeLive streaming25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsLive bettingMany sportsFast payoutsEdwards is 20-3-0 as a professional in mixed martial arts and has won his last ten fights in a row. However, what really matters is his most recent fight – a win over Usman. That victory saw Edwards become the UFC Welterweight Champion, and the Englishman will step into the Octagon on Saturday night to defend his belt for the first time.
In their previous meeting, Edwards was dominated by Usman for large portions of the fight. However, there were still plenty of positives for the 31-year-old to take. He had a strong first round and could execute a good takedown on Usman.
While he tired due to the altitude, he ultimately landed a knockout blow after 24 minutes of fighting, a strike that he had set up well across the fight. With Edwards fighting in front of a home crowd without the altitude factor, he should be even more confident taking this clash deep.
Until last August, Usman hadn’t lost a mixed martial arts fight in a decade. The favorite choice of Nigerian bookies and punters lost only his second professional fight in 2013 before stringing together 19 consecutive wins, including 15 at the UFC. However, he heads into this clash off the back of a loss, where he was knocked out by Leon Edwards and gave up his UFC Welterweight Championship as well.
Usman dominated Edwards for the best part of an hour inside the Octagon. When they met in 2015, Usman won a unanimous decision; when they fought in August 2022, Usman was well ahead on points until a head kick knocked him out. Usman will take confidence from this: if he sticks to his fight plan and doesn’t let his guard down, he should walk away with a victory again.
You’ve seen the background, and now it’s time for our Edwards vs. Usman betting prediction. Our experts have included their most likely results, as well as some high UFC odds for those punters looking to win big. Here are our top three UFC 286 betting tips:
This is the most conservative of our Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman tips. Technically, Usman should win this one. These two have been in the ring together most of the time, and Usman has looked like the better fighter. He’s a long-time UFC Welterweight Champion, and there’s a straightforward argument to be made for the fact that Edward’s knockout of him in their last meeting was simply a lucky strike.
Usman is heading to London to set the record straight and should prove why he had won 15 straight in the UFC prior to last August. With odds of 2.25 (5/4), the bookies agree this is the most likely outcome.
But, there is a more risky bet. What if Edward’s knockout wasn’t a fluke? What if it was an intelligently constructed game plan that took advantage of an aging champion who has an increasingly weak chin and gaps in his defense?
Based on this argument, a confident Leon Edwards, fighting in more favorable conditions (less altitude, home crowd), should be able to pull off a repeat of last year. After all, Edwards is no mug himself and hasn’t lost a fight since his clash against Usman in 2015. With odds of 5.00 (4/1), this may not be a guaranteed outcome, but it certainly is lucrative.
Those who are a little superstitious or simply love a beautiful sports story will want to take this wager. The last time they met, Edwards left it until the final minute of their 25-minute bout to knockout Usman. Will he execute a similar approach and bide his time, setting up Usman for the knockout blow just moments before the final bell?
Chances are, no. But if he was to, it would be a result that would go down in sport’s history – and your own personal history, if you bet enough on these odds of 26.00 (25/1).
Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London will bring another barnstormer of a UFC event, with Edwards vs. Usman III headlining UFC 286. With the ledger sitting at one fight apiece and the UFC Welterweight Championship on the line, who will assert themselves in the Octagon? We say Edwards is a decent chance of writing his own piece of history and is our best bet to score yet another knockout over Usman this weekend. If you agree with our MMA betting prediction, be sure to get your bets in before the first bell!
