Kamaru Usman is bidding to recover from his first defeat in a title bout when he embarks on a revenge mission against Leon Edwards in their trilogy fight at UFC 286 on March 18.
The fight takes place inside the O2 Arena in Edwards' home tuft of England.
'The Nigerian Nightmare' suffered the second loss of his 22-fight professional career when Briton Edwards, who had been the subject of some stern words from his corner during a notably dramatic contest, knocked him out in the fifth round of their bout at UFC 278 in Utah in August 2022.
Usman's formidable reputation, built through a 19-fight winning streak before his loss to Edwards, is assured as he prepares to face his nemesis again at London's O2 Arena, marking his first fight in the U.K.
The Sporting News looks at the career of Usman and the long-serving former champion's path to the top of his sport.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 286 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
How old is Kamaru Usman?
Usman was born in the city of Auchi, Nigeria, on May 11 1987, meaning the man who has entered his 11th year as a professional MMA fighter is 35 years old.
Muhammed Usman, his father, was a Nigerian army officer who left the country in 1989 to study at the University of Texas.
Usman had been a toddler at the time and the family was only fully reunited when Usman, his siblings and his mother - a teacher and shopkeeper in Nigeria who worked in several jobs after moving to the US - joined Muhammed in Dallas in 1995.
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Kamaru Usman record, bio
During an attempt to make the U.S. wrestling team for the 2012 Olympic Games, NCAA champion Usman began to be persuaded to pursue MMA as a career. He won gold in the 2010 NCAA Ndivision II National Championships in Omaha.
Having been a coach for The Ultimate Fighter in 2011, Usman won the series - and with it a UFC contract - in 2015, proceeding to beat Edwards by unanimous decision during the same year in his first fight for the promotion.
Victory over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 in 2019 landed Usman the welterweight title, which he successfully defended six times in under three years, including beating Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal twice each either side of knocking out Gilbert Burns at UFC 258.
Among his long list of history-making feats, Usman became the UFC's first Nigerian-born champion, has the most consecutive wins in the welterweight division - 15 - and was named the UFC's fighter of the year in 2021.
A return to winning ways on Edwards' turf would be another spectacular achievement in an exceptional MMA career.
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When is UFC 286: Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3?
- Date: Saturday, March 18 | Sunday, March 19
- Early Prelims: 1 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. GMT | 5 a.m. AEDT
- Prelims: 3 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. GMT | 7 a.m. AEDT
- Main card: 5 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT
- Main event: 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT (approx.)
UFC 286 takes place on March 18.
The early prelims start at 1 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. GMT | 5 a.m. AEDT, followed by the prelims at 3 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. GMT | 7 a.m. AEDT. The UFC 286 main card will begin at 5 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT.
Edwards and Usman should make their way to the octagon around 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.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 on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sat. March 18 | BT Sport |
| Australia | Sun. March 19 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
The main card for UFC 286 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+.
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In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
In the United Kingdom, the main card will be available on BT Sport, with the prelims 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 does UFC 286 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., 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 the UFC 286 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
BT Sport Box Office will charge £19.99 to access live coverage of the card. The buying window opens on March 10.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 286 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/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 & The Disney Bundle |
$88.98, then $13.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with 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
Prelims
- Jack Shore vs. Makwan Amirkhani — featherweight
- Sam Patterson vs. Yanal Ashmoz — lightweight
- Nathaniel Wood vs. Lerone Murphy — featherweight
FIGHT PASS Prelims
- 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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