ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JULY 12: In this handout image provided by UFC, (R-L) Jorge Masvidal punches Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 251 event at Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 12, 2020 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Kamaru Usman has accomplished a whole lot in his UFC career – but another loss to Leon Edwards would be devastating.
The two will fight for a third time in London, England – and you can expect the crowd to be pulling for Edwards, who grew up in the country.
The first bout occurred in December 2015 when Usman won by a unanimous decision. And second one in August appeared to be going the same way.
But an absolutely stunning head kick from Edwards came out of nowhere with about a minute left in the fight and stole the Welterweight belt away from Usman.
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Usman was so close to tying the 16-fight streak record that was set by UFC legend Anderson Silva.
The loss also stopped the 35-year-old’s belt defense streak at five.
The current record holder in the welterweight division is Georges St-Pierre, with nine. So Usman would need to win this upcoming fight against Edwards at UFC 286 and then defend his belt at least a few more times.
To have a realistic shot at history in the Welterweight division, Usman would almost certainly need to win this one.
It’s a huge fight for his legacy, and most would probably expect the Nigerian native to bounce back after his last loss given his dominance in most rounds against Edwards.
That said, the path forward won’t be easy for Usman.
The Welterweight division features top contenders including Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington, as well as rising undefeated stars Shavkat Rakhmonov and Khamzat Chimaev.
All of which are capable of beating Usman in addition to Edwards.
But tonight is all about Usman proving that he’s still the king of 170 and that he can still build on his legacy at nearly 36 years old.
Tonight the main card will start at 5 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN+ for $79.99.
As of now, Usman is a -240 favorite for the trilogy fight, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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