Who is Leon Edwards? Record, titles, bio, age, stats for UFC star facing Kamaru Usman at UFC 286
Leon Edwards will defend a more than seven-year unbeaten streak when he leads a UFC card in his native Britain for the first time against Kamaru Usman.
The two will face off at UFC 286 on March 18 for Edwards’ UFC welterweight title.
Edwards and Usman’s fight will be the trilogy fight in a gripping rivalry that began with Edwards’ recent loss in Florida in December 2015 and produced a dramatic dose of revenge when the challenger defeated “The Nigerian Nightmare” in Utah in December 2022.
Nearly 12 years after his professional debut, the Birmingham-based Edwards is now gearing up for the most important night of his career yet, against an opponent who had previously gone unbeaten in almost a decade.
The Sporting News follows Edwards’ career and his rise to British MMA superstardom.
MORE: Sign in to watch the UFC 286 PPV exclusively on ESPN+
How old is Leon Edwards?
Edwards was born on August 25, 1991 in the capital of Jamaica, Kingston, making the fighter as “Rocky” 31 years old.
The Edwards family lived in a wooden shack that was essentially a single room with a zinc roof, Edwards told ESPN ahead of his first fight with Usman.
“What if my father hadn’t brought me to the UK?” Edwards asked, thinking about moving as a kid from Kingston, where he said he got used to hearing gunshots being fired during gang wars. “What if my gym in the Erdington area of Birmingham, England never opened? It’s just crazy – it’s a crazy thing.
“Why was I the one who made it off the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, escaping the killings, the drugs and the poverty, when so many others didn’t?”
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Leon Edwards vinyl record, bio
Edward’s father worked in London after buying the family a house in the Aston area of Birmingham while his mother was a cleaner. Tragically for Edwards, who insisted his childhood was “not a sad story” and he was “happy as a kid”, his father was shot dead in a London nightclub when the future MMA fighter was 14 years old.
Edwards was part of gangs and often involved in fights as a teenager. “There were a few things I did during that time that I really regret,” he said.
“It’s hard to believe it was me who did it. It’s like a different life. I don’t like to talk about it. And I try to make it up to them every day.”
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A turning point came when Edwards stopped by a new local MMA training facility with his mother, who decided to get him involved in the sport to keep her son out of trouble.
The idea proved to be a masterstroke: Edwards became the world welterweight champion for the now-defunct British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA). He joined the UFC after making a BAMMA title defense, losing his debut for promotion via split decision to Claudio Silva in Brazil before winning twice and losing to Usman.
Edwards then won 10 straight fights before facing Usman again, including three victories in London to cement his status as a hero for British fans, and victories abroad over Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz.
“I never dreamed of becoming a top 10 fighter in the world as a kid,” said Edwards, adding that he was “cut for the position”.
“Never. That wasn’t even a thought in my head. Getting to where I am now is f—— crazy. It’s crazy.”
When is UFC 286: Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3?
- Date: Saturday March 18 | Sunday March 19th
- Early prelims: 1 p.m. ET | 6pm GMT | 5 p.m. AEDT
- Front matter: 3 p.m. ET | 8pm GMT | 7 a.m. AEDT
- Main card: 5 p.m. ET | 10pm GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT
- Main event: 8 p.m. ET | 1 am GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT (approx.)
UFC 286 takes place on March 18th.
Early prelims begin at 1:00 p.m. ET | 6pm GMT | 5 p.m. AEDT, followed by the prelims at 3 p.m. ET | 8pm GMT | 7 a.m. AEDT. The UFC 286 main card begins at 5 p.m. ET | 10pm GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT.
Edwards and Usman were scheduled to make their way to the Octagon at around 8:00 p.m. ET 1 p.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
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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 in UFC Fight Pass |
| Great Britain | Sat. March 18 | BT sport |
| Australia | Sun. 19th March | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
The main card for UFC 286 is available in the US and Mexico through subscription streaming service ESPN+ for a pay-per-view cost. Past fights can be seen live on ESPN+.
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In Canada, main card pay-per-view is available on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
In the UK, the main card will be available on BT Sport, with the preliminary round 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.
Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 price: How much is UFC 286?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the US, 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 UFC 286 pay-per-view and an annual ESPN+ subscription that offers savings of more than 30 percent.
BT Sport Box Office charges £19.99 to access the card’s live coverage. The buy window opens on March 10th.
MORE: Sign in to watch the UFC 286 PPV exclusively on ESPN+
| product | Prices |
|---|---|
| Monthly ESPN+ subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ annual subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney bundle with ad-supported Hulu | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle with 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 and the Disney Bundle |
$88.98 then $13.99/month |
Click here to learn more about the different pricing and bundle options on the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 286 fight card
main card
- Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 for the UFC Welterweight Title
- Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev – Lightweight
- Joanne Wood vs. Luana Carolina – Flyweight
- Gunnar Nelson vs. Daniel Rodriguez – Welterweight
- Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze – Middleweight
front matter
- Jack Shore vs. Makwan Amirkhani – Featherweight
- Sam Patterson vs. Yanal Ashmoz – Lightweight
- Nathaniel Wood vs. Lerone Murphy – Featherweight
FIGHT PASS preliminary rounds
- Jai Herbert vs. Ludovit Klein – Lightweight
- Muhammad Mokaev vs. Jafel Filho – Flyweight
- Jake Hadley vs. Malcolm Gordon – Flyweight
- Christian Duncan vs. Dusko Todorovic – Middleweight
- Juliana Miller vs. Veronica Macedo – Flyweight
- Jennifer Maia vs Casey O’Neill – Flyweight
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