5 frontrunners for Fight of the Night at UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2

C. Naik
UFC 278 [Image via UFC on Instagram]
UFC 278 [Image via UFC on Instagram]

#4. Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards 2 – UFC 278 main event

Both Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards aren't really known for putting on barnburners. Usman, with the exception of his first bout with Colby Covington, has largely dominated every opponent he's faced. Edwards, on the other hand, is a cerebral fighter who likes to pick his opponents apart from a distance.

The first fight between the welterweight duo saw Usman accrue around 10 minutes of control time en route to a unanimous decision win. Heading into their upcoming rematch, however, both fighters have improved tenfold and the stakes are much higher, which should make things very interesting.

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Leon Edwards has worked tirelessly at improving his takedown defense since his loss to Kamaru Usman in 2015. The Brit hasn't tasted defeat since that bout and has even started to use his much-improved wrestling offensively.

If Usman is unable to secure takedowns in the rematch, the stylistic matchup on the feet could turn out to be fantastic. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has clearly upgraded his striking arsenal since employing the services of Trevor Wittman and undoubtedly has the ability to put his English counterpart to sleep.

Nevertheless, Edwards' striking game has more layers, and if he keeps this fight on the feet, Usman could be in for a long night.


#3. Tyson Pedro vs. Harry Hunsucker

The main card opener at UFC 278 will feature light heavyweight contender Tyson Pedro square off against the all-action Harry Hunsucker.

Pedro, before his dominant first-round knockout win a few months ago, was on the sidelines for just under four years with injuries. The affable Australian has now permanently shifted his training camp to City Kickboxing in New Zealand, home to two UFC champions in Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.

On Saturday night, Pedro will look to pick up his second win since his extended injury layoff as he takes on the always-entertaining Hunsucker, who has never been outside the first round in his professional career.

Harry Hunsucker's kill-or-be-killed mentality could work in Tyson Pedro's favor at UFC 278. Pedro has devastating power in his strikes, and under the guidance of CKB headcoach Eugene Bareman, he should be able to finish the fight quite early on.

On the flipside, it's been over four years since Pedro competed in front of a packed arena and such intangibles have often influenced proceedings at the highest level. If he's firing on all cylinders and is truly ready to make a run up the light heavyweight ranks, this is a very winnable fight for 'The Hurricane', and it shouldn't take him too long either.

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Edited by Dave
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