The U.K. is finally getting a PPV event topped by a British star with UFC 286 this Saturday, going down at the O2 Arena where Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman meet for a third time.
Their oft-forgotten first meeting in 2015 saw Usman go a full three rounds against “Rocky,” earning a unanimous decision win. Neither man had lost since that fight until their second meeting at UFC 278 last August, when Edwards landed a head kick in the final round of a fight he had been losing to that point to capture welterweight gold.
Now, Kamaru Usman looks to storm London and reclaim his title, while Edwards no doubt hopes to underscore that the pair’s second fight was an off-night for him, until that final minute anyhow.
In the co-main event at UFC 286, ranked lightweights Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev collide — and we do mean collide. Both men posses powerful kicks, have explosive hands, and are known for violent encounters. The winner of a clear candidate for Fight of the Night on paper can expect to jump right into the title mix, where Gaethje has found himself before— though it would be new territory for Fiziev.
Ahead of the PPV event in London, all fighters will hit the scale Friday for the official UFC 286 weigh-ins. Cageside Press will be on the scene to bring you all the results; the weigh-ins kick off at 5AM.
No fewer than five fighters weighed in with a barrier early in the UFC 286 official weigh-in window, though only Malcolm Gordon missed weight, coming in at 129.5lbs for his flyweight bout with Jake Hadley. Colby Covington, spotted in London earlier in the week, hit championship weight as a back-up for the main event.
All other fighters made weight for UFC 286, with the entire affair over and done with inside of 45 minutes.
UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 Weigh-In Results
Welterweight: Leon Edwards (c) (170) vs. Kamaru Usman (170) — for the UFC welterweight championship
Lightweight: Justin Gaethje (156) vs. Rafael Fiziev (156)
Welterweight: Gunnar Nelson (170) vs. Bryan Barberena (171)
Women’s Flyweight: Jennifer Maia (125) vs. Casey O’Neill (125)
Middleweight: Marvin Vettori (185.5) vs. Roman Dolidze (186)
Preliminary card
Featherweight: Jack Shore (146) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (146)
Lightweight: Chris Duncan (156) vs. Omar Morales (156)
Lightweight: Sam Patterson (155.5) vs. Yanal Ashmoz (155)
Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev (126) vs. Jafel Filho (125.5)
Early preliminary card
Featherweight: Lerone Murphy (145.5) vs. Gabriel Santos (145.5)
Middleweight: Christian Leroy Duncan (185.5) vs. Duško Todorović (186)
Flyweight: Malcolm Gordon (129.5)* vs. Jake Hadley (126)
Women’s Flyweight: Joanne Wood (126) vs. Luana Carolina (126)
Lightweight: Jai Herbert (156) vs. Ľudovít Klein (156)
Women’s Flyweight: Juliana Miller (125.5) vs. Veronica Hardy (125.5)
Welterweight: Colby Covington (170) – backup fighter
* Gordon weighed in 3.5lbs over the flyweight limit, and was the second fighter to hit the scales. He did not continue his cut.
