Getty Kamaru Usman & Jorge Masvidal
Two-time welterweight title challenger Jorge Masvidal is picking 170-pound king Kamaru Usman to retain his belt against Leon Edwards on Saturday night at UFC 279.
“The Nigerian Nightmare” will look to earn a second win over Edwards, who he defeated during a UFC on Fox event in 2015 via unanimous decision. “Rocky” has built a 10-fight unbeaten streak since their contest in Orlando, Florida, which includes victories over the likes of Nate Diaz and former UFC 155-pound champion Rafael dos Anjos.
On the other end, Usman had defended his strap five times in a row. And two of those wins have come against Masvidal, who The Nigerian Nightmare bested via KO and unanimous decision in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
While speaking with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck earlier this month, “Gamebred” weighed in with his prediction. And although Masvidal said Edwards could take out Usman, he’s “learning towards Usman.”
“I think Kamaru wins. I don’t think he stops him or nothing, I just think he wins. I think he finds a way to get him, take him down, control him, throw a couple strikes, take him down, you know?” Masvidal said via MMA News. “I could see Leon winning, you know, cause it’s a fight, anybody could win, I could see him catch him with a head kick or a knee or something and stopping him because it’s not like Usman is perfect.
“Nobody is perfect in this sport. He could easily get caught and get put away. But I’m leaning towards Usman.”
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping Is Picking Edwards Over Usman
Michael Bisping, the UFC’s former middleweight champion and an English MMA pioneer, said during a recent video on his YouTube channel that he was picking his countryman, Edwards, to beat The Nigerian Nightmare.
“It’s a tough fight for both men and I truly am torn,” Bisping said via MMA Fighting. “I’m friends with Kamaru Usman, I respect his body of work greatly, but if you think I’m gonna sit here on my YouTube channel, being a proud Brit, and pick against Leon Edwards, you’re out of your god damn mind. I gotta do it. I gotta go with team U.K. just to send that positivity into the atmosphere.
“I’ve got Leon Edwards winning via decision. So, there you go. If Leon wins, it’s because he’s going to outpoint him for five rounds. If Kamaru wins, it’s probably because he’s gonna rock him with a right hand, take him down and try and ragdoll him on the floor.”
Bisping Said That Since Colby Covington Had Success With Striking Against Usman, Edwards Will Too
Bisping then pointed to Usman’s two scraps with Colby Covington. “Chaos” is a fighter known for his wrestling, however he found success with hands against Usman in both of their championship bouts. Bisping gathered that if Covington could connect on The Nigerian Nightmare, then Edwards would as well.
“I think this is a tough fight for both men,” Bisping said. “I don’t think this is gonna be easy. We saw Colby Covington have success with the hands against Kamaru. If Colby has success with his hands against Kamaru then you can bet your bottom dollar that Leon Edwards will have success with his hands or striking against Kamaru.
“He’s gonna have to watch the wrestling. It’s gonna be a dog fight and at some point, as it starts getting later in the rounds, people start to get a little more fatigued, they start making mistakes, people start getting desperate, things start going wrong.”