Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards Championship Tilt to Headline UFC 278

Tudor Leonte

June 13, 2022

One of the most interesting clashes at 170 pounds is atop the UFC 278 card.

On Sunday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced that current welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman will put his championship on the line against Leon Edwards in the UFC 278 headliner. Usman (20-1, 15-0 UFC) is coming off a dominant performance against Colby Covington at UFC 268, where he picked up a unanimous decision victory. “The Nigerian Nightmare” is on a quest to become the greatest welterweight of all time. He is currently riding a 15-bout promotional winning streak, the longest in the Nevada-based organization. Additionally, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 21 winner set the record for the most back-to-back wins in UFC 170-pound history, breaking the previous record held by UFC Hall of Famer Georges St. Pierre. In his latest outings, Usman has defended his title against the likes of Covington, Jorge Masvidal, and Gilbert Burns.

Edwards (19-3 1NC, 11-2 UFC) will also bring a ten-bout streak to the table. The 30-year-old Englishman scored his first victory since July 2019 with a five-round verdict over UFC superstar Nate Diaz in a five-round, non-title affair at UFC 263 in June 2021. Prior, “Rocky” upended former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 4. Recently, Edwards was supposed to face Masvidal at UFC 269 in December, but “Gamebred” pulled out of the fight due to injury.

UFC 278 will go down at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The card will also feature a middleweight tilt between Paulo Costa and former divisional titleholder Luke Rockhold. Additionally, 145-pounder Sean Woodson is taking on Luis Saldana while Victor Altamirano faces Jake Hadley at flyweight.