UFC 286 will take place in London for the first time this year at the O2 Arena. The card will be headlined by the Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards trilogy.

Marvin Vettori #4 vs Roman Dolidze #9

The main card opens up with a fight between middleweights Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze.

Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori is making a return to the octagon after a decision loss to Robert Whittaker. Vettori has won one of his last three fights, but he has been fighting the best of the best. Vettori is looking to enter another winning streak to be able to fight for the title for the second time.

On the other hand, Roman Dolidze is on a four-fight winning streak against formidable opponents. His win streak includes fighters such as Jack Hermansson, Phil Hawes, Kyle Daukaus, and Laureano Staropoli. Also, Dolidze has only lost one fight in the UFC and has a record of 12-1. A win over Marvin Vettori could bump Dolidze into the top five in the division.

Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Jennifer Maia #8 vs Casey O’Neill #12

The second fight on the main card includes two women’s flyweights, Jennifer Maia and Casey O’Neill.

Casey O’Neill has been on an absolute tear in the UFC so far. She is currently undefeated and on a four-fight winning streak in the UFC. She is making a return to the octagon after not fighting for over a year. A win over Jennifer Maia will bump her up to the top ten in the women’s division.

Since losing to former champ Valentina Shevchenko, Jennifer Maia has won two of her last four fights. She is making a return to the octagon after an impressive win over Maryna Moroz in November 2022. Maia is looking to start a winning streak to eventually return to title contention.

Gunnar Nelson vs Bryan Barberena

The third fight on the card includes unranked welterweights Gunnar Nelson and Bryan Barberena. This fight should be very exciting!

Gunnar Nelson has a record of 18-5-1 and is a very exciting fighter in the welterweight division. Although he is unranked, Nelson has never been one to hide from the competition. Nelson has competed with notable names such as Gilbert Burns, Leon Edwards, and Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Bryan Barberena is also another unranked but exciting fighter who has fought tough competitors. His most recent fight was against Rafael Dos Anjos in December of last year. Furthermore, Barberena has won three of his last four fights, including a classic fight against Robbie Lawler.

Justin Gaethje #3 vs Rafael Fiziev #6

The co-main event of UFC 286 includes two of the most exciting and talented lightweights.

Rafael Fiziev is one of the best strikers that the UFC has to offer and is on a six-fight winning streak. Fiziev has only lost one fight in the UFC, and it was his debut. Since his debut, Fiziev has shown so much growth and has improved his stamina to be able to last five rounds. A win over Justin Gaethje should make Fiziev next in line for the title.

Justin Gaethje has been one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC since his debut in 2017. Gaethje has showcased his abilities time and time again, especially when he won the interim title against Tony Ferguson. Although Gaethje has never been the undisputed champion, he is one of the best fighters the UFC has to offer. A win over a prospect like Rafael Fiziev should improve his chances of fighting for lightweight gold in the future.

Kamaru Usman #1 vs Leon Edwards #C

The trilogy fight between welterweights Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards will headline UFC 286.

This is one of the most anticipated fights this year because of the outcome of their second fight. At UFC 278 in November, Leon Edwards landed a last-second head kick on Usman in the fifth round to become the welterweight champion. Since that fight, fans have been asking for the trilogy fight since Usman was winning almost every round before getting knocked out.

Before the Edwards loss, Usman was on a 15-fight winning streak and was on his way to lapping his division. Usman has dominated fighters such as Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, Jorge Masvidal, and Tyron Woodley. Usman is familiar with championship fights and is looking to get what was previously his.

Leon Edwards has only lost two fights in the UFC, and his most recent loss was in 2015 against Kamaru Usman. Since his Usman loss, Edwards has been on a 10-fight winning streak against the best of the best. Edwards is looking to defend his title for the first time against one of the best fighters of all time. A win over Usman for the second time will cement Edwards as one of the best welterweights.

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