UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2 Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More
Leon Edwards gets a shot at both redemption and a title belt in the UFC 278 main event against Kamaru Usman in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The welterweights fought all the way back in 2015 when the Nigerian Nightmare took a unanimous decision. Neither of the fighters have lost a fight since.
Usman has established himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He's beaten most of the top contenders in the division, including Edwards, Tyron Woodley, Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns.
Meanwhile, Edwards has done nothing but get better and win fights since losing to Usman. He comes in on a nine-fight win streak that includes strong performances against Rafael dos Anjos and Nate Diaz.
The evening will also feature a middleweight clash between Luke Rockhold and Paulo Costa among other notable undercard bouts. Here's a look at the whole slate and predictions for the biggest fights.
UFC 278 Fight Card, Schedule and Odds
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET)
- Kamaru Usman (c) (-330; bet $330 to win $100) vs. Leon Edwards (+275; bet $100 to win $275) – for welterweight title
- Paulo Costa (-345) vs. Luke Rockhold (+285)
- José Aldo (+120) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (-140)
- Lucie Pudilova (-125) vs. Wu Yanan (-105)
- Harry Hunsucker (+530) vs. Tyson Pedro (-730)
Prelims (ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
- Alexandr Romanov (-350) vs. Marcin Tybura (+290)
- Jared Gordon (-260) vs. Leonardo Santos (+220)
- Luis Saldana (+310) vs. Sean Woodson (-380)
- AJ Fletcher (-150) vs. Ange Loosa (+130)
Early Prelims (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
- Amir Albazi (-460) vs. Francisco Figueiredo (+370)
- Aoriqileng (-130) vs. Jay Perrin (+110)
- Victor Altamirano (-170) vs. Daniel Da Silva (+145)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Usman Routs Edwards
Leon Edwards has certainly earned the right to be in this spot. He has the best win streak in the division outside of the current champ. He's acquitted himself nicely in each of his most recent fights.
Edwards' striking is polished, and his defensive wrestling is enough to keep Usman from simply destroying him in the grappling game. But the totality of his game just doesn't match up with the reigning champion.
Usman continues to show improvement. Despite holding the belt for more than two years, he continues to develop and find new ways to evolve.
That's bad news for Edwards. Because even if he can stuff enough of Usman's takedowns and stay out of the clinch, it's not guaranteed that he's even the better kickboxer.
Usman's forward aggression is going to be too much for the tactical Edwards. Usman has too many tools in his belt to not find a way. The frustration from Edwards is going to make him prone to a knockout shot later in the fight.
Prediction: Usman via fourth-round TKO
Costa Ends Rockhold's Night Early
Luke Rockhold hasn't fought since 2019 but will attempt to come back in a big way on Saturday night against Paulo Costa.
It's an absolutely brutal bit of matchmaking on the UFC's part. Rockhold is presumably still a skilled fighter, but he's been susceptible to taking big punches in the past. He's been knocked out in each of his last two fights.
Jan Blachowicz and Yoel Romero are both heavy hitters, but so is Costa.
If Rockhold can find a way to drag the fight to the mat, he has a chance. His submission game is better than the Brazilian's, and he is probably the more well-rounded fighter.
But this fight isn't going to come down to who is more well-rounded. It's going to be how effective Costa's power punching is against Rockhold's striking defense. It's not a good matchup for the former champion.
Prediction: Costa via first-round TKO
Merab Dvalishvili Enjoys Breakout Performance Against Aldo
Merab Dvalishvili is not a household name quite yet, but he's getting there. The 31-year-old just keeps winning on his way up the bantamweight rankings.
Dvalishvili will bring a seven-fight win streak with him into the biggest fight of his career to date. On Saturday night, he draws a legend of the sport in Jose Aldo while being the lead into the co-main event of a pay-per-view anchored by one of the best fighters in the game.
That's a lot of pressure.
The good news for him is that the Aldo he is slated to see isn't the same assassin who used to rule the featherweight division. The 35-year-old has found a second life as a bantamweight contender, but he doesn't carry the same pop that saw him knock out several top contenders at 145 pounds.
Instead, he's become an effective points fighter whose kickboxing generally carries the day.
Expect Dvalishvili's grappling chops to negate that on the way to the biggest win of his career.
Prediction: Dvalishvili via decision
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