UFC 286 odds: Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman 3 - Who is the favorite to be crowned champion?

Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman are set to clash for a third-time as they headline UFC 286 and compete for the welterweight title this weekend.

Their bout is the first UFC card to feature in London, England this year, which means 'Rocky' will make his first title defense in front of his home fans. Looking to spoil the party is 'The Nigerian Nightmare', who is vying to snatch back the 170lb strap.

Edwards stunned the world at UFC 278 last year when he handed Usman both the first UFC and KO loss of his career. The Nigerian-born fighter looked to be seconds from victory before 'Rocky' landed the infamous leg kick that crowned him the welterweight champion.

With many now scrambling to make their predictions or bets for UFC 286's main-event this weekend, the latest odds have placed Kamaru Usman as the heavy favorite for the trilogy.

Per Oddschecker, Usman opened as a -350 favorite when the trilogy was announced, with Edwards a +285 to successfully retain. Now, during fight week, the odds have shifted slightly.

The former champ is still the favorite at -240 whereas Leon Edwards retains his underdog status with a +200 betting line.

---

Former UFC fighter Dan Hardy believes Leon Edwards will perform better versus Kamaru Usman at UFC 286

Dan Hardy believes Leon Edwards will be much more competitive in the trilogy with Kamaru Usman as their main-event bout won't be fought at altitude.

When 'Rocky' faced 'The Nigerian Nightmare' at UFC 278, the card was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, which has an altitude of 4,327 feet. The effects of the altitude were evident throughout the night as it fatigued almost every fighter on the card, aside from Usman, who regularly trains high above sea-level.

Even though Edwards' was victorious, the fast pace he set in the first-round quickly dwindled as his gas tank emptied and fatigue set in. Now, with the fight taking place on home soil for 'Rocky', Dan Hardy expects to see a more exciting fight from 31-year-old to help stake his claim as champion.

Discussing the fight on his podcast, The War Room, Hardy said:

“So I mentioned it briefly, about the altitude. Altitude’s a weird thing... It can be a real unusual thing to experience. And this is why a lot of fighters go to altitude to train. Kamaru Usman’s gone to train with Trevor Wittman in Colorado, 6800 feet above sea level.

"So there’s still an altitude to Salt Lake, you’ll feel that tightness in your chest and shortness of breath, it’s like how you feel like you’ve not done the conditioning you should have done. So I do feel like that was a factor, especially given the fact that Leon just looked like he went flat. And he tried to get himself going.”

Catch the video here (12:30):