MMA
Usman v Edwards II Preview: Unbeaten rivals’ rematch
UFC 278 is going to be a spectacular event, from a top-class welterweight main event rematch to the middleweight co-main, this fight night is going to be action packed.
The fight night goes down in Salt Lake City, Utah, this Saturday at the Vivint Arena, and is one not to be missed!
We preview the best of the action bellow
Usman v Edwards II: Explosive title-defence rematch
The pair first fought in December 2015 with Kamaru Usman taking the victory by decision, and since then both fighters have fought an astonishing combined total of 25 fights with both yet to be defeated. Usman is the welterweight world champion and is 20-1 officially, with five consecutive title defences, he looks to make it six in Utah this weekend where he is the 1/4 favourite.
“The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman is 15-0 in the UFC, and in his last five bouts won three by knockout. He is the top-ranking pound-for-pound fighter and demands the upmost respect from the UFC community, with most fans seeing him as an unstoppable force. With this in mind Usman is 11/4 to win by way of KO/TKO this Saturday.
British challenger Leon “Rocky” Edwards was last seen in the octagon last June, where he made a mockery of Nate Diaz in a spectacularly entertaining 5 round bout which saw him win by decision, making Edwards undefeated in his last 10 fights. He steps into the octagon as the underdog at 3/1 but is a fierce competitor and number 2 ranked welterweight.
Edwards has also fought a high calibre of opposition, with victories over the likes of Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone and Rafael Dos Anjos. In what is likely to be an intense striking match up, Edwards is at the disadvantage with 2.62 strikes landed per minute to Usman’s 4.66, and of course Usman has a 100 percent takedown defence to Edwards 70 percent. Edwards has won the majority of his brawls by decision, including his last four outings, and an Edwards decision win is priced at 15/2.
Either way this fight plays out it is set to be one hell of a rematch, with Usman hoping to equal Anderson Silva’s unbeaten streak record. The fight is expected to go to the judges’ scorecards with odds of 8/13 that the bout goes the distance.
Check out all the latest betting offers at William Hill
Costa v Rockhold: Veterans battle it out
Next up is another highly anticipated fight, with middleweights Paulo Costa and Luke Rockhold set to duke it out in the co-main event. Despite having lost his last two outings, UFC veteran Costa will head into this fight the 3/10 favourite. Up until these losses, Costa was on a 13-fight unbeaten streak, leaving his record 13-2 all told.
The Brazilian boasts victories over the highest class of opponents in Uriah Hall and Yoel Romero, and has achieved 11 knockouts from his 13 victories, with most of his fights being wildly entertaining all out brawls. The former title challenger is 4/7 to win by KO/TKO, which is no surprise given his taste for heavy handed finishes.
Rockhold similarly lost his two most recent bouts, but has not fought in three years. The former middleweight champion will look to reignite a title run should he come off the better man in this match-up and stands with a record of 16-5. Despite his skill and experience, he heads into this bout the underdog at 5/2.
All of Rockhold’s last six victories have been finishes, with an equal split of knockouts to submissions, further proving the veterans’ wide range of tools at his disposal. Furthermore, he boasts eight submission wins, with a Rockhold submission priced at 9/1, this is most likely the path to victory for him.
Just as the main event, these fighters are highly decorated, and this will be an explosive and wildly entertaining bout no matter the outcome. At 3/10, the fight is highly unlikely to go the distance.
