Kamaru Usman will defend his welterweight crown against the streaking Leon Edwards in UFC 278's headliner on Saturday. Check out our Usman-Edwards picks ahead of the bill's main event.
The reigning champion heads to Salt Lake City with five consecutive title defenses and a pristine UFC record of 15-0 to his name. In his most recent outing, Usman, 35, capped a busy 2021 by outworking longtime rival Colby Covington to claim a unanimous decision – his second victory over the universally loathed contender. As for his challenger, Edwards hasn&# 39;t taken an L since falling to Usman on points back in 2015, compiling nine straight victories to bring his promotional slate to 11-2 and earn a long-awaited rematch.
Will Usman outwrestle Edwards yet again to retain the strap, or will Edwards' well-rounded game be enough to even the score?
Here are my Usman-Edwards picks and predictions for Saturday's marquee matchup (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).