On Saturday, Aug. 20, Nigerian born champion Kamaru Usman will meet British standout Leon Edwards in a rematch that is nearly seven years in the making. Only, this time, it will be for the UFC welterweight title. The promotion will be making it’s second visit to Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
The main event will be plenty entertaining with both men looking to stake their claim at the top of the mountain at UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards II.
Usman will be in search of a second triumph over Edwards, making it three consecutive rematch victories for the “Nigerian Nightmare”. His last two fights were rematch wins over Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal, which extended his title-defense run to six. Edwards, on the other hand, is looking to avenge his last loss, which was to Usman, and add to his ten-fight unbeaten streak.
In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold returns from a three-year layoff to begin his quest to once again wear gold. His adversary in this return fight is former title challenger and knockout artist Paulo Costa.
Costa needs to pick up a win in this contest to remain relevant in the title picture at 185 pounds after suffering back-to-back losses.
A win is paramount for both fighters, and a loss could mark a decisive end to their respective times near the top of the middleweight division.
Another fight with title implications takes place on the main card as former long-reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo meets Merab Dvalishvili. Aldo is coming into this bout hot on the heels of a three-fight winning streak that saw him defeat notable contenders Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz, and, most recently, Rob Font.
Dvalishvili has a legitimate argument that he should be undefeated inside the UFC, as his first two fights ended in controversial losses to Frankie Saenz and Ricky Simon. Since those two setbacks, “The Machine” has rattled off seven wins in a row and has shown an unmatchable cardiovascular pace in all of those bouts.
