Could Leon Edwards beat Kamaru Usman again?
Leon Edwards shocked Kamaru Usman back in August to take the UFC welterweight title off the Nigerian and become only the second British UFC champion in the process. It was the second time the pair had met after they first met in 2015 when both were upcoming fighters in the prelims of a fight night.
Usman won that night on which his pure wrestling style controlled the fight against Edwards who at that point was very much a kickboxer. Following Edwards’s shock knockout in the final round of their UFC 278 bout, Dana White hinted that the pair could face off for a trilogy potentially at Wembley in the near future. The third meeting between the pair would very much present a winner takes all situation; Usman could regain his title or Edwards could show he did not earn the belt by luck and win again to retain his belt.
The champ adds a new belt to the collection ?
(via @Leon_edwardsmma) pic.twitter.com/6karzjgcXU
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 15, 2022
The odds would surely be tight if the two were to fare off again, and you can enjoy UFC betting at Bodog with many events to come in the near future besides a potential Edwards vs Usman trilogy. For example, Islam Makhachev, dubbed the ‘next Khabib Nurmagomedov’, is currently priced as the -150 favorite to defeat Charles Oliveira.
UFC 280 and 281 come in the following months with huge fights on the cards including the lightweight title belt in the former event. If Edwards were to beat Usman again, he would level Michael Bisping’s record of being the only British fighter not only to be a UFC champion but to retain the belt when it was on the line. But beating a fighter that is widely regarded as the number one fighter, pound-for-pound, would be much more impressive.
Usman would surely be the favorite yet again but Edwards has shown already he is capable not only of staying in the fight for the duration but he can produce knockouts. Edwards has in a sense reached the peak of the UFC world, he is a title holder and has beaten the number one ranked fighter, he can maintain his level by retaining the belt but he cannot reach a higher height than he is already at.
But this fight may not be about legacy and accolades with a long-term rivalry being at stake; Edwards will be desperate to prove his knockout on the prior occasion was not an anomaly, and that he is genuinely at Usman’s level.
Usman is certainly the more composed fighter who is more adept at taking a patient fight to the octagon with the intention of wearing his opponent down. This usually works effectively with the Nigerian tiring his opponent until he can pick off a straightforward takedown or simply prevents his opponent from any takedown or knockout opportunities. Usman is extremely good at controlling fights, but Edwards has already shown once that he can disturb his rhythm and produce a knockout against all odds.
Paddy Pimblett and Steve-O discuss Kamaru Usman’s chances of bouncing back from Leon Edwards KO ?#UFC #MMA @ufc pic.twitter.com/q55qb5H3Lb
— Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) September 1, 2022
Edwards is much more versatile in his striking and while Usman has more raw power the British fighter has certainly identified the blueprint to toppling the number one. But could he do it once again?
