The UFC heads to The O2 Arena in London on Saturday to complete the trilogy between 170-pound champ Leon Edwards and former champ Kamaru Usman. This third and likely decisive meeting comes seven months after Edwards knocked out Usman in the final minute of the final round to take the title from him.
In the co-main event, 155-pound knockout artist Justin Gaethje takes on Rafael Fiziev, a striking specialist on a six-fight winning streak.
Read on for a betting preview of the main card, plus a look at the UFC 286 odds from multiple legal US sportsbooks.
UFC 286 main event odds
Leon Edwards ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532569″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Kamaru Usman ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532569″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Usually when you win a title fight via knockout, you don’t open as the underdog in the immediate rematch, as Edwards is here. But then, this is not exactly the usual rubber match, since Usman has dominated almost every round these two have spent in the cage together, yet still ended his night unconscious on the mat last August.
In their first fight in 2015 and the rematch in 2022, Usman’s wrestling was the difference-maker. His clinch game against the fence and his takedowns and top control on the mat allowed him to grind out that first decision win over Edwards, and he seemed well on his way to a repeat in the second fight. It was one perfect head kick by Edwards in the last minute of a fight he was on his way to losing that rendered the scorecards moot.
If Usman can control him the way he did in that fight, but without leaving the opening for the one big strike, another victory is possible. What the champion Edwards will have going for him here, aside from the support of his countrymen in England, is the confidence from having beaten Usman.
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”mma/mma_game_team_win_method_ko/532569″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”mma/mma_game_team_win_round_decision/532569″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”mma/mma_game_team_win_method_submission/532569″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
UFC 286 co-main event odds
Justin Gaethje ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532570″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Rafael Fiziev ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532570″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
For a fighter who comes from a wrestling background, Gaethje has made a surprising name for himself as one of the lightweight division’s premier sluggers. As a fellow fighter once said of him, he’s the kind of guy who would light himself on fire just to burn you a little bit. That’s how he typically fights.
What that means here, for a technically sound kickboxer like Fiziev, is that Gaethje won’t be hard to find. The challenge for Fiziev is to stay disciplined and pick Gaethje apart without getting drawn into the type of brawl that would be more to Gaethje’s advantage than Fiziev’s. If he can do that, he could win. But if his ego or desire for a finish gets to him, he could end up in the kind of messy fight that Gaethje loves.
UFC 286 props and round betting
In the title fight main event, the big question is whether we’ll see the scorecards and go five full rounds. If Usman has his way again, a decision seems entirely possible. He’s not incapable of finishing by any means, but especially after getting knocked out last time, he may choose to play it safe and grind out a win on the mat without taking too many chances in search of a TKO win.
Similarly in the co-main event, Fiziev is the more technical fighter, but Gaethje has toughness to spare and is incredibly difficult to put away quickly. If either of these fights end inside the distance, it would seem to favor the underdogs. If the favorites have their way, they’re probably going the distance.
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”mma/mma_game_team_win_round_decision/532570″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”mma/mma_game_team_win_method_ko/532570″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
Full UFC 286 odds and fight card
[metabet_core_odds_board site_id=”legalsportsreport” league=”mma” market=”moneyline” hide_consensus=“Yes”]
Main card
Leon Edwards ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532569″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Kamaru Usman ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532569″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Justin Gaethje ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532570″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Rafael Fiziev ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532570″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Gunnar Nelson ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”533605″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Bryan Barbarena ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”533605″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Jennifer Maia ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532799″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Casey O’Neill ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532799″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Marvin Vettori ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532463″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Roman Dolidze ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532463″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Prelim Card
Jack Shore ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532615″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Makwan Amirkhani ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532615″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Chris Duncan ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532798″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Omar Morales ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532798″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Sam Patterson ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532618″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Yanal Ashmoz ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532618″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Early Prelims
Lerone Murphy ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”534261″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Gabriel Santos ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”534261″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Christian Leroy Duncan ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532620″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Dusko Todorovic ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532620″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Malcolm Gordon ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532507″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Jake Hadley ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532507″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Joanne Wood ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532490″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Luana Carolina ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532490″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Jai Herbert ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532619″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Ludovit Klein ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532619″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”])
Juliana Miller ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”532621″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Veronica Macedo ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”532621″ site_id=“legalsportsreport”])
How To Watch UFC 286
- • Early prelims on ESPN+, 1 p.m. ET
- • Prelims on ESPNews, ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET
- • Main card on ESPN+ pay-per-view, 5 p.m. ET
