Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 2 Preview & Picks
Kamaru Usman is backed to retain his welterweight title by decision.
Usman has improved as a striker since the first meeting with Edwards and is the better grappler.
He has dominated the 170lb division in recent years and that is unlikely to change here.
- Kamaru Usman is on a 19-fight win streak
- 11 of Kamaru Usman’s 15 UFC wins have been by decision
- Kamaru Usman beat Leon Edwards by decision in 2015
- Leon Edwards was not been stopped in any of his 3 defeats
- 6 of Leon Edwards last 8 fights have gone the distance
Head To Head
- Kamaru Usman won by unanimous decision when they last fought in December 2015
Kamaru Usman Form
Kamaru Usman has won 19 consecutive fights since losing the second bout of his professional career in 2013.
The 35-year-old went 5-1 before signing with the UFC in 2015, and since landing with MMA’s premier promotion he has gone 15-0.
Decision wins over Demian Maia and Rafael dos Anjos in 2018 secured a shot at the welterweight title the following year.
Usman took his big chance, dominating Tyron Woodley over five rounds in a decision victory.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ then knocked out Colby Covington in his first defence before outclassing Jorge Masvidal over five rounds.
He followed that up with a third-round stoppage of Gilbert Burns and second-round finish of Masvidal in the rematch.
Usman then took his record to 20-1 by registering a decision win in his second fight with Covington.
That victory with the 10th decision win over his career, with nine wins coming by KO/TKO and one by submission.
Leon Edwards Form
Leon Edwards is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak as he heads into his first ever UFC title fight.
Edwards lost two of his first four fights after signing with the UFC, but has not lost since his decision defeat to Kamaru Usman in 2015.
He rebounded quickly with a decision win against Dominic Waters and then submitted Albert Tumenov in the third round.
‘Rocky’ kept his win streak going with back-to-back decision wins over Vicente Luque and Bryan Barberena, before knocking out Peter Sobotta in the third round.
The 30-year-old Jamaican-born Brit then made it six-in-a-row with a unanimous decision success against Donald Cerrone.
The streak continued in his next outing as he earned a split decision win against Gunnar Nelson, and it hit eight-in-a-row before 2019 was out.
Edwards registered a decision win over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos – the biggest win of his career to that point.
His momentum stalled after that though, with ‘Rocky’ not fighting again until March 2021.
When he did finally return to the Octagon it ended in disappointment, as an accidental eye poke resulted in a No Contest against Belal Muhammad.
Edwards was able to get back to winning ways a few months later, beating Nate Diaz by decision to improve to 19-3, 1 No Contest.
Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 2 FAQs
Where can I watch the Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 2 live stream?
You can watch the Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 2 stream by using ExpressVPN.
Where is Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 2 taking place?
Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 2 is taking place at UFC 278 on Saturday, August 20 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, USA.