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A rare trilogy highlights the UFC 286 card on Saturday as welterweight champion Leon Edwards meets former champion Kamaru Usman in the main event. The third meeting between these longtime rivals will anchor the main UFC 286 fight card (5 p.m. ET) from the O2 Arena in London. Edwards had to win nine consecutive fights to earn a title shot, but he made the most of the opportunity. Last August at UFC 278, he stunned Usman with a head-kick knockout in the fifth round. Coincidentally, his last UFC defeat came in December 2015 to Usman, who went on to become a dominant champion with five successful defenses before the upset loss to Edwards.
Usman is a -260 favorite (risk $260 to win $100), while Edwards comes back at +210 in the latest UFC 286 odds for Edwards vs. Usman 3. The co-main event features a showdown between explosive lightweight contenders with Rafael Fiziev (-235) taking on Justin Gaethje (+195). Before making any UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
Vithlani is a highly analytical UFC bettor who profited more than $6,200 for $100 bettors in 2022. This includes a documented 24-14 record on his well-respected, two-leg parlays. Every pick was documented on his public Instagram account.
From breaking down film and following fighters and their camps closely, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport’s nuances.
In his SportsLine debut at UFC 283 in January, Vithlani swept the main card and his 5-0 record included advising SportsLine members to back Jamahal Hill (-125) against Glover Teixeira (+105) for the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 in sight, Vithlani has scoured the fight card top to bottom for value and released his top MMA picks. You can only see who to back at SportsLine.
UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 preview
Edwards (20-3-1) gets his first title defense in his home country before adoring fans in a venue that is known to host some of the most enthusiastic crowds in UFC history. The new champion is finally seeing some of the respect he believes is long overdue, but his persistence has finally paid off.
Edwards has gone 12-2-1 in 15 UFC appearances, but his rise came to little fanfare in large part because his highly technical style led mostly to decision victories as opposed to the highlight-reel knockouts most fans prefer. In fact, his knockout of Usman was just the second stoppage of his UFC career.
The 31-year-old British fighter was regularly overlooked for high-profile opportunities that went to arguably less-qualified contenders. For instance, challengers such as Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal got two title shots against Usman before Edwards finally landed his first.
Edwards lost a decision to Usman in their first meeting and their title bout appeared headed in the same direction. The former champion looked stronger and was the clear aggressor, leading most observers to believe he had handily won the first four rounds.
The fifth round involved more of the same, and Usman (20-2) was essentially coasting toward another dominant title defense. But he appeared to lose focus for a split second and Edwards unleashed a kick that caught Usman square in the temple and knocked him out cold.
Now, Usman is determined to recapture the welterweight crown, while Edwards is motivated to show his victory wasn’t a fluke. You can see who Vithlani is backing at SportsLine.
Top UFC 286 picks
We’ll share one of Vithlani’s UFC 286 selections here: He is siding with Jack Shore (-500) to get his hand raised against Makwan Amirkhani (+400) in a matchup of featherweight prospects.
Shore (16-1) is a well-rounded prospect who gained attention as a potential contender by winning his first five UFC matchups. But the 31-year-old Welsh fighter fell by submission to fellow prospect Ricky Simon in his last outing, his first professional defeat.
Amirkhani (17-8) is a grappling specialist who climbed into the top-15 rankings with wins in five of his first six UFC outings. However, the 34-year-old Finnish fighter has stumbled to losses in four of his past five.
“Shore is savvy enough to avoid the submission and, the more this fight drags on, the more I favor Shore,” Vithlani told SportsLine. You can see more picks at SportsLine.
How to make UFC 286 picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Edwards vs. USman and other bouts on the UFC 286 card. He’s also backing a fighter who “is one of the most dangerous strikers in UFC” to emerge with a dominant victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Edwards vs. Usman at UFC 286? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 286, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.
UFC 286 odds, fight card
See full UFC 286 picks, predictions, best bets here.
Kamaru Usman (-260) vs. Leon Edwards (+210)
Rafael Fiziev (-235) vs. Justin Gaethje (+195)
Gunnar Nelson (-380) vs. Bryan Barberena (+300)
Casey O’Neill (-180) vs. Jennifer Maia (+155)
Marvin Vettori (-285) vs. Roman Dolidze (+230)
Jack Shore (-500) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (+375)
Omar Morales (–110) vs. Chris Duncan (-110)
Sam Patterson (-285) vs. Yanal Ashmoz (+230)
Muhammad Mokaev (-900) vs. Jafel Filho (+600)
Lerone Murphy (-180) vs. Gabriel Santos (+160)
Joanne Wood (-180) vs. Luana Carolina (+160)
Ludovit Klein (-195) vs. Jai Herbert (+165)