Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman 3 (UFC 286)

On March 18, the two UFC welterweights are scheduled to square off a third time. In their previous bout, which took place in August 2022, Leon “Rocky” Edwards prevailed by knockout.

This is a highly anticipated matchup because some believe Usman is still the best welterweight. Usman had the upper hand for the majority of their second match until Leon connected with a head kick in the last minute.

The two competitors are scheduled to square off at London, England’s O2 Arena. Home of the current welterweight champion, Leon Edwards.

Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev (UFC 286)

Lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev are set to face each other as the co-main event on March 18th. This is a highly anticipated matchup due to the fighting styles of both fighters. Both fighters are known for their striking, while Fiziev is more of a technical striker than a brawler.

Former title contender Justin Gaethje is coming off a title loss to former champion Charles Oliveira. Justin has fought the best that the UFC could offer with names such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Tony Ferguson.

On the other hand, Rafael Fiziev has only been in the UFC since 2019. Since joining the UFC, he has only lost once and is on a six-fight win streak with three finishes. Fiziev is coming off an amazing knockout win over UFC legend Rafael Dos Anjos.

Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili (Fight Night)

Bantamweights Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili are scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night on March 11th. The winner of this matchup will more than likely become the next title contender.

Former champion Petr Yan is making a return after a close decision against contender Sean O’Malley. Petr has only won one of his last four fights and is aiming for another rematch against the current champion, Aljamain Sterling.

Additionally, Merab Dvalishvili is entering this fight on an impressive eight-fight win streak. Among them was a decision victory over Hall of Famer Jose Aldo.

Merab trains and is best friends with the current champion, Aljamain Sterling. So there could be a possibility where Merab moves to a different weight class after his fight with Petr Yan.

Credit: Craig Kidwell-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane (UFC 285)

The most anticipated fight of this year includes the return of Jon Jones. After three years, Jon Jones will move up to heavyweight and face Ciryl Gane on March 4th.

Jon Jones is considered the greatest of all time, and many people have been waiting patiently for his return. Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane will be competing for the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship.

Taking three years off could be really detrimental to Jon’s return or very beneficial. Jon had to gain a ton of weight to be able to compete in such a heavyweight class. Jon has spent his entire career fighting at light heavyweight, so the transition has been difficult.

Former title contender Ciryl Gane is making his return after an impressive knockout win over Tai Tuivasa. Although Gane has a young MMA career, he has shown that he could compete with the best of the best.

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