UFC 286 fight results, highlights as Leon Edwards retains title on points in Kamaru Usman trilogy

Abraham Smith

A revenge-minded Kamaru Usman will enter enemy territory to face Leon Edwards in a trilogy bout as he bids to reclaim the UFC welterweight title on March 18.

This encounter takes place at the O2 Arena in London, a familiar setting for the Birmingham-born Edwards. 

The series is tied 1-1. Who will walk out of London as the UFC welterweight champion? The Sporting News will provide results and highlights from UFC 286. Stay tuned!

MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 286 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+ 

UFC 286: Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 results, highlights

Round 5: Leon Edwards 8-10 Kamaru Usman (47-46)

This has been a tricky fight to score. Could the point deduction come in? Leon Edwards might have retained his title – just – but that could look a silly assessment in a moment or two.

Both fighters raise their hands as they head away from centre stage, then exchange a meek handshake as they await the scorecards.

Round 4: Leon Edwards 10-9 Kamaru Usman (39-36)

Kamaru Usman evades an attempt by Leon Edwards to mount him after the champion stalks him at the start of the fourth round.

Usman is throwing out jabs but being kept in check by Edwards’ kicks, then succeeds – briefly – with a takedown.

Edwards returns to his feet and socks in a hook before Usman tries to take him down again without success. ‘Rocky’ is springing back to his feet each time, absorbing the takedowns well – as he did in the latter rounds of the second fight between this pair.

Round 3: Leon Edwards 9-9 Kamaru Usman (29-27)

Potentially huge moment! Herb Dean sees Leon Edwards hanging on to the fence as Kamaru Usman tries to bring him down.

The referee takes a quick look at a replay and then, with admirable courage in this arena, deducts the champion a point. It didn’t look a particularly contentious call.

It’s been a bit of a stop-start fight with Dean having to repeatedly interject. Usman’s corner urge their man to rush at Edwards, who’s a picture of intense concentration on the back foot.

Round 2: Leon Edwards 10-9 Kamaru Usman (20-18)

Kamaru Usman keeps trying to close the distance but Leon Edwards has the better of the round, picking his strikes judiciously and playing a patient game.

Then Edwards follows up a knee with some painful body shots, but Usman hits back and pins his man down.

Usman looks for the back – Edwards knows he needs to stay off the ground – and doesn’t get it. The home crowd cheer as he returns to his feet, then is pinned to the fence but stays upright, both men shooting as they go.

Round 1: Leon Edwards 10-9 Kamaru Usman

Edwards came into the ring making a gunshot gesture to his head. That bravado was not unfounded on the evidence of the first round.

A head kick draws a collective intake but doesn’t connect to effect, then the referee has a word with Edwards for holding. Usman is sizing him up but can’t close in.

Edwards has also been profiting from body shots. The home crowd are loving this – but it’s as tight as you’d have expected beforehand.

23:35 GMT: An intriguing start, and a very promising one for Leon Edwards, who is succeeding with kicks. On commentary, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is impressed.

23:30 GMT: A huge roar as Leon Edwards makes his way to the ring! The introductions are being made. Almost everyone is on their feet.

23:20 GMT: Next up – the trilogy, the title fight, the main event. Kamaru Usman is dancing as he heads to the ring in a black and blue jacket. He looks loose!

Here’s Gaethje’s moment of victory.

23:08 GMT: Justin Gaethje beats Rafael Fiziev on points! We have an upset after an all-action fight!

23:00 GMT: Look who’s here…

22:53 GMT: It’s been a blistering start between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev. Favourite Fiziev probably shaded the first round.

22:40 GMT: Justin Gaethje against Rafael Fiziev is minutes away. This is going to be a co-main to savour.

22:30 GMT: Conor McGregor teammate Gunnar Nelson beats Brian Barberena by submission!

This one ended with the Icelander mounting Nelson and trapping him in an armbar, forcing him to tap out.

22:20 GMT: Jennifer Maia wins it!

22:15 GMT: Rafael Fiziev is preparing to take on Justin Gaethje in the co-headline event tonight. The Azerbaijani starts as favourite.

22:00 GMT: Colby Covington is in the building. He’s just eviscerated UFC 286 headliners Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, compared his potential involvement to the Revolutionary War, claimed the 2021 US elections were rigged against close friend Donald Trump and insulted British women in his role as backup fighter for the event.

Here’s how he weighed in yesterday, which he says he did at a day’s notice.

21:45 GMT: Marvin Vettori beats Roman Dolidze by decision! Fourth-ranked middleweight Vettori fought smart against his former training partner in a hard-to-call fight, edging it by avoiding trading too often with the feared Georgian.

Next up: a flyweight bout between Jennifer Maia and Casey O’Neill!

21:30 GMT: The main card is under way, with Marvin Vettori and Dolidze into the third round of their tear-up.

21:05 GMT: Jack Shore beats Makwan ‘Mr Finland’ Amirkhani! There were a few Finns brandishing a flag at the weigh-in here at the O2 who won’t be happy with that result.

20:35 GMT: Chris Duncan beats Omar Morales by decision in a back-and-forth fight!

Meanwhile, Muhammad Mokaev says he thought about tapping out during that gruesome kneebar. He attended the post-fight press conference on crutches.

20:10 GMT: Look away now if you’re of a delicate disposition. Sam Patterson suffered a shuddering defeat to Yanal Ashmoz.

19:45 GMT: Hugely popular prospect Muhammad Mokaev escaped a submission defeat… and scored a late win by the same method. Wow!

19:20 GMT: Lerone Murphy edged to a split decision over Gabriel Santos, winning 29-28 on two cards and losing by the same scoreline on the other.

19:00 GMT: Here’s how Veronica Hardy celebrated her win over Juliana Miller – three years and four days after she retired from MMA with concussion issues.

18:30 GMT: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ coverage of UFC 286, live from the O2 Arena in London!

Let’s go through the early results so far:

Veronica Hardy def. Juliana Miller by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jai Herbert and Ludovit Klein share a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
Joanne Wood def. Luana Carolina by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Jake Hadley def. Malcolm Gordon by TKO (strikes) at 1:01 of Round 1
Christian Leroy Duncan def. Dusko Todorovic by TKO (injury) at 1:52 of Round 1
Lerone Murphy def. Gabriel Santos via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

When is UFC 286: Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3? 

  • Date: Saturday, March 18 | Sunday, March 19
  • Early FIGHT PASS Prelims: 1 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. GMT | 4 a.m. AEDT
  • Prelims: 3 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT
  • Main card: 5 p.m. ET | 9 p.m. GMT | 8 a.m. AEDT
  • Main event: 8 p.m. ET | 12 a.m. GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT (approx.) 

UFC 286 takes place on Match 18. The FIGHT PASS prelims will begin at around 1 p.m. ET. The prelims will go live at 3 p.m. ET and the main card starts at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV. Edwards and Usman should make their way to the octagon around 8 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.

MORE: How to bet UFC 286: Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3

How to watch UFC 286: Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3

Country Date Channel + Live Stream (main card)
United States Sat. March 18 ESPN+, ESPN PPV
Canada Sat. March 18 BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel,  Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass
United Kingdom Sat. March 18 BT Sport
Australia Sun. March 19 Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass

The main card for UFC 286 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+. 

In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.

In the United Kingdom, the main card will be available on BT Sport, with the prelims on UFC Fight Pass. 

In Australia, the main card will be on Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.

MORE: Dana White confirms next opponent for Jon Jones

Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 price: How much does UFC 286 cost? 

  • $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
  • $124.98 (new subscribers)

In the U.S., the UFC 286 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 286 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 286 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.

BT Sport Box Office will charge £19.99 to access live coverage of the card. The buying window opens on March 10.

MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 286 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+

Product Prices
ESPN+ Monthly Subscription $9.99/month
ESPN+ Annual Subscription $99.99/year
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported $13.99/month
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads $19.99/month
UFC PPV Standalone $74.99 each
UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) $99.98, then $69.99/year
UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle

$88.98, then $13.99/month

Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.

UFC 286 results

Main card

  • Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 for the UFC welterweight title 
  • Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev; Lightweights
  • Gunnar Nelson vs. Bryan Barberena; Welterweights
  • Jennifer Maia vs. Casey O’Neill; Flyweights
  • Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze; Middleweights

Prelims

  • Jack Shore vs. Makwan Amirkhani, Featherweights
  • Sam Patterson vs. Yanal Ashmoz; Lightweights
  • Chris Duncan vs. Omar Morales; Lightweights
  • Muhammad Mokaev vs. Jafel Filho; Flyweights

FIGHT PASS Prelims 

  • Lerone Murphy vs. Gabriel Santos; Featherweights
  • Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Dusko Todorovic; Middleweights
  • Malcolm Gordon vs. Jake Hadley; Flyweights
  • Joanne Wood vs. Luana Carolina; Flyweights
  • Jai Herbert vs. Ludovit Klein; Lightweights
  • Juliana Miller vs. Veronica Hardy; Flyweights

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