Leon Edwards is finally getting his wish. The top contender at 170 pounds is set to take on long reigning champion Kamaru Usman for UFC welterweight title on Aug. 20 in Salt Lake City as they headline UFC 278. The promotion made the fight official on Saturday night during the UFC 275 broadcast.
Usman bested Edwards in their first meeting as rising prospects back in 2015 by decision. The fight served as his promotional debut after winning The Ultimate Fighter season 21 in the same year. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has since continued his incredible 19-fight win streak en route to claiming the welterweight crown and defending it five times. Usman has beaten Colby Covington (twice), Jorge Masvidal (twice), Gilbert Burns and Tyron Woodley in title bouts.
Edwards, meanwhile, has also gone unbeaten since that first meeting in 2015 with a 9-0-1 mark. He returned from a lengthy layoff in March 2021 but delivered an accidental eye poke against Belal Muhammad that left his opponent unable to continue. Edwards returned in June 2021 to outpoint Nate Diaz in a fight that he controlled until the final round where Diaz badly hurt Edwards with a right hand.
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