Fans are in for a treat when the pound-for-pound No. 1 ranked fighter in the world defends his welterweight title in the headline bout at UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2. A winner in 19 consecutive fights, Kamaru Usman defends his belt for the sixth time in a rematch of a fight that took place back in 2015 when Usman entered the Octagon for a second time.
It’s hard not to like Usman and oddsmakers feel the same way positioning him as a big favorite on the UFC betting line. Edwards hasn’t lost since that first fight going 9-0-1 since and has just two fights on his resume in the last three years. He should be well rested to tangle with the Nigerian Nightmare as a +340 underdog.
A title fight, a couple of former champions and an undefeated fighter will provide plenty of action inside the Octagon with 13 scheduled bouts making up the fight card on Saturday, August 20 from Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. Early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN and ESPN+. Preliminary round matches are on ESPN and ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET with the main card on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET. Betting options for every fight on the ticket are available at BookMaker.eu when you’re ready to place a wager.
UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2 Odds
Main Card
Leon Edwards +340 vs. Kamaru Usman -480
Luke Rockhold +261 vs. Paulo Costa -350
Merab Dvalishvili -125 vs. Jose Aldo -105
Marcin Tybura +387 vs. Alexandr Romanov -565
Harry Hunsucker +651 vs. Tyson Pedro -1180
Some heavily favored fighters enter the Octagon for the main card with Usman (20-1) and Edwards (19-3) the headline attraction. People take notice when the best at their craft compete and that’s the case here. Nobody has been better than Usman, who has vanquished his last 19 opponents and all 15 inside the Octagon. One of those was Edwards by unanimous decision when the pair met in December 2015. It was Usman’s second UFC match and eighth overall. Little did we know at the time that it would catapult him to super stardom. I think it’s safe to say each man has improved since the first fight with zero losses between them since. There aren’t many flaws in Usman’s game but showing improved boxing and striking skills over his last few fights will be what carries him. Edwards is a well-rounded fighter with stamina to go the distance against the pound-for-pound champ. An upset is more likely than people think.
UFC Prediction: Kamaru Usman -480 / Decision
I see the potential for another upset in the co-main event middleweight bout between favorite Paulo Costa (13-2) and former Strikeforce and UFC division champ Luke Rockhold (16-5). Entering the Octagon for the first time in three years is a negative for Rockhold, who opened at +261. He also lost his last two bouts and three of his previous four by KO likely causing the hiatus. He used the time away to heal injuries and refocus giving Rockhold renewed enthusiasm for another shot at the belt. Costa’s only two professional setbacks came in his last two fights with little effort in a unanimous decision to Marvin Vettori last October. His raw power led to first round stoppages in his first nine fights, but Costa has been unpredictable since leaving him vulnerable.
UFC Prediction: Luke Rockhold +261 / (T)KO
The intriguing main card also features a bout with former WEC/UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo (31-7) taking on Merab Dvalishvili (14-4) in a bantamweight tussle. Undefeated Alexandr Romanov (16-0) is a huge -565 favorite in his heavyweight bout with Marcin Tybura (22-7), and Romanov isn’t even the biggest favorite on the ticket. That distinction belongs to Tyson Pedro (8-3) at -1180 in his light heavyweight bout with Harry Hunsucker (7-5).
UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2 Odds
Prelims
Leonardo Santos +244 vs. Jared Gordon -325
Yanan Wu +115 vs. Lucie Pudilova -145
Luis Saldana +254 vs. Sean Woodson -340
Shanna Young +456 vs. Miranda Maverick -700
Desperation is a great motivator and will be featured prominently in the lightweight struggle between Leonardo Santos (18-6-1) and favorite Jared Gordon (18-5). Both are coming off losses with Santos dropping his last two. And with stiff competition in the division neither can afford another defeat. Miranda Maverick (12-4) is a rising star in the women’s flyweight division and she’s heavily favored over Shanna Young (9-5). The two fought in an Invicta Series tournament in 2019 with Maverick scoring a submission with a rear-naked choke.
UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2 Odds
Early Prelims
Ange Loosa +130 vs. AJ Fletcher -163
Francisco Figueiredo +351 vs. Amir Albazi -500
Jay Perrin +143 vs. Aoriqileng -180
Daniel da Silva +161 vs. Victor Altamirano -205
The night gets started with a flyweight clash between Daniel da Silva (11-3) and Victor Altamirano (10-2). The former LFA flyweight champ, Altamirano lost a unanimous decision in his UFC debut. He’s never lost consecutive fights and he’s a -205 favorite to continue that trend. The biggest favorite in the early prelims is Amir Albazi (14-1), who hit the board at -500 for his flyweight bout with Francisco Figueiredo (13-4-1). Albazi has shown the skill to be a contender in the division but he hasn’t fought since winning a unanimous decision 19 months ago.
