Kamaru Usman v Leon Edwards predictions and UFC 278 betting tips

Free UFC betting tips, predictions and analysis for UFC 278 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, from 3am Sunday morning

Best bets

K Usman v L Edwards to go the distance
1pt 8-11 Betfair, Paddy Power

M Dvalishvili
1pt 8-11 general

UFC 278 preview

UFC 278 takes place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday evening when the welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman and British fighter Leon Edwards is the main event.

Edwards' task is a formidable one. Usman goes into this fight with an MMA record of 20-1 and 15-0 in the UFC, most recently beating Colby Covington by unanimous decision in November 2021. He is just 2-7 to make it 16-0 while the Briton is a best-priced 3-1 chance.

The Nigerian Nightmare deserves to be the strong favourite as he bids to retain the title but Edwards has been good enough throughout his career to make the defending champion look a risky betting proposition at such short odds.

Of Usman's 15 UFC fights, ten went the distance, while ten of Edwards' 13 UFC bouts have all reached the final bell, including on each of his last four appearances.

The Brit has never lost by KO/TKO or submission, so backing this fight to go the distance looks to be the best option.

In the co-main event, Paulo Costa is odds-on to defeat Luke Rockhold and should bounce back to form against an opponent who has not fought in UFC since 2019. However, Rockhold has won six times by KO/TKO and could still trouble the favourite.

For a better bet elsewhere on the card, take Georgian fighter Merab Dvalishvili to get the better of Jose Aldo.

Dvalishvili goes into this fight with an MMA record of 14-4. He is 7-2 in UFC, most recently beating Marlon Moraes by TKO in September last year and he looks far more solid than the inconsistent Aldo.

The Brazilian has won three fights in a row but he's 3-3 in his last six fights and 5-5 in his last ten. His opponent is on a seven-bout winning run and his superior grappling and striking should see him continue his rise.

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