A tactical preview ahead of the title clash between Edwards and Usman
Can lightning strike twice for Leon Edwards? Kamaru Usman insists he will remind his rival how he ‘took his soul’ with astonishing head kick KO, so what are the keys to victory for both fighters? And what do the stats say ahead of UFC 286?
- Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman will face off for the UFC’s welterweight title
- The British fighter will make his first defence since winning the title last year
- Here, Sportsmail takes a look at all the stats ahead of Saturday’s huge clash
The wait is finally over. This weekend Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman will battle it out for the UFC welterweight title in a packed-out 02 Arena in London.
Edwards won the title in dramatic fashion in August last year after delivering a brutal head-kick KO to Usman in the final round of the title fight.
The Birmingham fighter became just the second British champion in the company’s history and has recently warned Usman that he plans to repeat his summer success.
Usman, meanwhile, recently claimed that he had been taking Edwards’ ‘soul’ in their last encounter, before being knocked out, and will be looking to bounce back from his first-ever defeat in the UFC.
Ahead of the fight, Sportsmail have taken a look at what each fighter needs to do on Saturday night in order to secure the victory and take home the belt.
Leon Edwards (R) and Kamaru Usman (L) will fight for the UFC’s welterweight title on Saturday
Edwards became the second British fighter in the organisation’s history after victory last year
What can both men do to win?
Even though he produced one of the most iconic knockouts in UFC history during their last bout, Edwards will be well aware he can put in a better performance this time around.
The Brit faced heavy pressure throughout the five-round battle in August last year but recently claimed that he suffered an injury in the lead-up to the fight.
‘I was kind of working around the injury just to get me to the fight. Then I was leaving my camp to go to America, to try to adjust to the time, the air, everything’, he told the Independent.
‘Now I’ve got no injuries, I can train all the way to fight week properly – and in my own gym. It’s a totally different ending to the camp physically and mentally.’
And there’s no doubting that on his day, Edwards has all the credentials of a UFC champion. His 11-fight win-streak is the third longest among active streaks and it’s largely thanks to his impressive striking ability.
The Birmingham fighter also managed to land the first-ever takedown on Usman during the bout, which could be another route that he goes down.
Usman, on the other hand, will be seeking to remind fans of his dominance inside the octagon when he makes his appearance at the O2 Arena.
The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ had control through the majority of their meeting last August – landing five takedowns compared to the Brit’s one.
He also landed over double the amount of strikes on his welterweight counterpart in the fight. If he puts in a similar performance, and avoids a shock knockout, then Usman stands a good chance of winning the bout.
Usman has some of the most impressive statistics in the UFC, which could prove useful
The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ was dealt his first ever UFC defeat against Edwards last August
What do the stats say?
Though he won’t want to hear it before fight night, defending champion Edwards will have the statistics against him as he heads inside the octagon.
According to official UFC data, the Brit’s striking accuracy of 50.58% is narrowly bested by Usman’s 53.09%.
However, it’s when analysing the strikes-landed-per-minute stats where the difference becomes apparent. Usman’s rate of 4.55 far betters Edwards’ 2.59.
This could spell trouble for the Birmingham fighter following his troubles in their last encounter.
But the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ will be well aware of Edwards’ impressive defence, as stats shows he absorbs just 2.28 significant strikes per minute – the third best rate among active welterweights.
And if their last fight proved anything, Edward’s tough chin could be the secret to him winning the retaining title.
When it comes to grappling Usman, again, is outstanding in the majority of categories. His takedown defence rate of 97 per cent is hardly matched by anyone in the sport.
The Nigerian averages 3.01 takedowns every 15 minutes, which is far superior to Edwards’ 1.39 rate.
Edwards has a proved he has impressive defensive abilities during his 11-fight win-streak
Key weapons
It’ll be no secret as to what Usman needs to watch out for in this fight. Specifically, a devastating head-kick in the final moments of the fifth round.
It was this move that saw Edwards defeat Usman and it could certainly be another tactic that the England fighter employs.
After their fight in August, video footage emerged of ‘Rocky’ and his trainers practicing the head-kick which ended up coming to fruition.
So there can be no doubts that the Edwards camp will have identified a few potential shots that could help them retain the welterweight title on Saturday.
The Birmingham fighter will be hoping to repeat summer success when he takes on Usman
Usman, on the other hand, could be banking on a brutal KO of his own. Though he’s not renowned for impressive knockouts, he’s shown glimpses in recent outings.
In his fight before losing to Edwards, Usman scored two brutal knockdowns in welterweight contender Colby Covington, before winning the bout by decision.
And against Jorge Masvidal, Usman’s fight prior to that, he produced his most impressive stoppage victory of his career. The Nigerian unleashed a huge shot that left the American slumped on the floor.
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