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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 286 event saw two of the best fighters in the welterweight division face off against each other in a highly anticipated rematch. The main event featured Leon Edwards, who had been on an eight-fight win streak, taking on Kamaru Usman, the reigning welterweight champion. The event was held on March 5, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
SAT,18 MARCH,2023
3:00 PM ET
Leon Edwards entered the octagon with an impressive record of 20 wins, 3 losses, and 1 no contest. He was coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal in a highly anticipated rematch. Edwards was eager to prove that he was the best welterweight in the world and was ready to face the toughest challenge of his career in Kamaru Usman.
On the other hand, Kamaru Usman had a record of 20 wins and 1 loss. He was the reigning welterweight champion and had successfully defended his title against top contenders like Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Jorge Masvidal. Usman was known for his dominant wrestling and ground-and-pound style of fighting. He was looking to prove that he was the undisputed welterweight champion and cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
The first round of the fight started slowly, with both fighters taking their time to get a feel for each other. Edwards landed a few leg kicks, while Usman tried to close the distance and take the fight to the ground. Edwards was able to defend against Usman’s takedown attempts and landed a few jabs and a straight right hand that seemed to stun Usman. The round ended with Edwards landing a few more leg kicks and Usman looking frustrated.
The second round saw Usman come out more aggressively, looking to take the fight to Edwards. He landed a few hard shots and tried to take the fight to the ground, but Edwards was able to defend well. Edwards started to find his rhythm and landed a few more jabs and leg kicks, but Usman was able to land a hard right hand that seemed to hurt Edwards. The round ended with Usman looking like he was gaining momentum.
In the third round, Edwards started to pick up the pace and landed a few hard shots that seemed to hurt Usman. Usman tried to take the fight to the ground, but Edwards was able to defend well and keep the fight standing. Edwards continued to land hard shots, including a spinning back elbow that seemed to hurt Usman. The round ended with Edwards looking like he was taking control of the fight.
The fourth round saw Usman come out more aggressively, looking to turn the fight around. He landed a few hard shots and tried to take the fight to the ground, but Edwards was able to defend well. Edwards continued to land hard shots, including a few head kicks that seemed to hurt Usman. The round ended with Edwards looking like he was in control of the fight.
The fifth and final round saw Usman come out with a sense of urgency, knowing that he needed to finish the fight to retain his title. He landed a few hard shots and tried to take the fight to the ground, but Edwards was able to defend well. Edwards continued to land hard shots, including a few more head kicks, and seemed to be cruising to a decision victory. However, Usman was able to land a hard right hand that seemed to hurt Edwards and followed up with some ground-and-pound. Edwards was able to survive until the final bell, but it was a close round that could have gone either way.
In the end, the judges awarded the fight to Leon Edwards via split decision, with the scores of 48-47, 47-48, and 48-47 in his favor. The decision was met with some controversy, with some fans and analysts believing that Usman had done enough to retain his title. However, Edwards had shown that he was a worthy challenger and had pushed the champion to his limits.
The co-main event of the evening saw a matchup between two rising stars in the lightweight division, as Islam Makhachev took on Drew Dober. Makhachev, a protégé of Khabib Nurmagomedov, had been on a seven-fight win streak and was looking to cement himself as a top contender in the division. Dober, on the other hand, was coming off an impressive knockout victory over Nasrat Haqparast and was looking to pull off an upset.
The fight started with Makhachev taking Dober down to the ground and controlling him with his grappling skills. Dober was unable to mount any offense and was forced to defend against Makhachev’s ground-and-pound. Makhachev continued to dominate in the second round, taking Dober down to the ground and looking for a submission. Dober was able to defend well, but was unable to mount any offense of his own.
The third round saw Dober come out more aggressively, knowing that he needed a finish to win the fight. He landed a few hard shots, but Makhachev was able to take the fight to the ground once again. Makhachev continued to control Dober on the ground and looked for a submission, but was unable to secure one. The fight ended with Makhachev winning via unanimous decision, with the scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 in his favor.
In another exciting matchup, former bantamweight champion Petr Yan took on top contender Cory Sandhagen in a fight that could determine the next challenger for the title. The fight started with Yan taking the center of the octagon and looking to establish his striking. Sandhagen, known for his unorthodox striking style, was able to land a few hard shots and defend against Yan’s takedown attempts.
The second round saw Yan come out more aggressively, landing a few hard shots and taking Sandhagen down to the ground. Yan continued to control Sandhagen on the ground and looked for a submission. Sandhagen was able to defend well and get back to his feet, but Yan continued to land hard shots and control the fight.
The third round saw Sandhagen come out with a sense of urgency, knowing that he needed to finish the fight to win. He landed a few hard shots and tried to take the fight to the ground, but Yan was able to defend well. Yan continued to land hard shots and control the fight, ultimately winning via unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 in his favor.
Overall, UFC 286 was a highly entertaining event that featured some of the best fighters in the world. Leon Edwards proved that he was a worthy challenger for the welterweight title and showed that he had the skills to beat the champion. Makhachev continued to impress with his dominant grappling skills, while Yan showed that he was still a top contender in the bantamweight division. The event left fans eagerly anticipating the next matchups in these highly competitive divisions.
