UFC 286 Results: Edwards vs. Usman 3

UFC 286 brought Leon Edwards’ welterweight title defense against Kamaru Usman to The O2 in London on March 18, 2023. Edwards won their trilogy by majority decision, while Justin Gaethje edged Rafael Fiziev in a striking contest that provided another highlight on the 15-fight card.

Edwards wins the trilogy in London

Edwards used kicks, counters and improved takedown defense to make Usman’s pressure less effective than in their earlier meetings. Usman continued to press forward, but the champion repeatedly found ways to regain space and resume his offense.

A third-round point deduction for grabbing the fence made the scoring tighter. Edwards nevertheless won on cards of 48–46, 48–46 and 47–47, retaining the championship and taking a 2–1 lead in their series.

Gaethje and Fiziev trade at high speed

Fiziev’s fast combinations and kicks tested Gaethje early. As the fight developed, Gaethje’s jab, uppercuts and late pressure helped him gain ground in a demanding contest between two accomplished lightweight strikers.

Gaethje won a majority decision after three rounds. Gunnar Nelson submitted Bryan Barberena with an armbar in the first round, while Jennifer Maia and Marvin Vettori won unanimous decisions on the rest of the main card.

Mokaev’s escape and a deep undercard

Muhammad Mokaev survived a dangerous kneebar attempt from Jafel Filho before securing a submission late in round three. Jack Shore also earned a submission, and Yanal Ashmouz knocked Sam Patterson out in the opening round.

Lerone Murphy and Chris Duncan took split decisions, while Christian Leroy Duncan won after Duško Todorović suffered a knee injury. Jake Hadley, Joanne Wood and Veronica Hardy added victories, and Jai Herbert’s bout with Ľudovít Klein ended in a majority draw after a point deduction.

Complete UFC 286 results

• Leon Edwards def. Kamaru Usman — majority decision, R5, 5:00.
• Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev — majority decision, R3, 5:00.
• Gunnar Nelson def. Bryan Barberena — submission (armbar), R1, 4:51.
• Jennifer Maia def. Casey O’Neill — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Marvin Vettori def. Roman Dolidze — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Jack Shore def. Makwan Amirkhani — submission (rear-naked choke), R2, 4:27.
• Chris Duncan def. Omar Morales — split decision, R3, 5:00.
• Yanal Ashmouz def. Sam Patterson — KO (punches), R1, 1:15.
• Muhammad Mokaev def. Jafel Filho — submission (neck crank), R3, 4:32.
• Lerone Murphy def. Gabriel Santos — split decision, R3, 5:00.
• Christian Leroy Duncan def. Duško Todorović — TKO (knee injury), R1, 1:52.
• Jake Hadley def. Malcolm Gordon — TKO (punches), R1, 1:01.
• Joanne Wood def. Luana Carolina — split decision, R3, 5:00.
• Jai Herbert vs. Ľudovít Klein — majority draw, R3, 5:00.
• Veronica Hardy def. Juliana Miller — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.

Sources

UFC 286 official results; UFC 286 official scorecards; Event results record.

Article Tags

UFC, UFC 286, Mixed Martial Arts