Two of welterweight's best have a score to settle, and we're here for it!
UFC 286 is headlined by the rubber match between Kamaru Usman, who may be the greatest welterweight of all time, and Leon Edwards, the man who violently ripped the belt away from Usman. But, before that, we've got some great scraps to set the stage for this pivotal title fight.
The most exciting fighter to bless the sport will lock horns with a Muay Thai phenom, a teammate of Conor McGregor tries to take a step closer to gold, and many more entertaining scraps are on the bill! Join us for these UFC 286 results as we bring UFC live results round by round.
UFC 286 Results: Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman Live
At long last, Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman will battle it out to see who the true king at 170lbs is. Usman beat Edwards rather handily in their 2015 meeting. However, Edwards improved drastically over the years and made it irrefutable that he deserved a title shot.
The rematch with Usman headlined UFC 278 and saw perhaps the best comeback knockout of all time. Will Usman prove to be too much for Edwards once again, or will Edwards be able to knock Usman off once more, this time in front of his home crowd? The wait is nearly over, as we bring UFC live results below.
Round one: Leon Edwards looked incredible here! Leon's striking is very calculated and he really put it on the former champ in this opening round. Usman seems reserved and Leon is fighting like a champion. Edwards' body kick is absolutely money and the leg kicks are looking great too.
10-9 Edwards
Round two: These two are very eager to start round two, They get going but a groin strike stops things as soon as they started. Leon lands a hard left hand and then a knee that rocks Usman. Usman then switches things up and rocks the champ with a stiff cross. Edwards, hurt but hiding it, shoots for a takedown and gets denied. Usman racks up some control time but it allows Leon to clear the cob webs. Very close round.
10-9 Usman
Round three: Usman reaches for a single leg takedown and he succeeds. Leon works his way up but he's got a bad man on his back. Usman tries to trip the champ, who responds by grabbing the fence. Herb Dean takes a point. The two continue things on the feet. Kamaru pops Edwards' head back with a jab. The former champ is looking really good in this round. Leon accidentally lands a 50-yard-field goal of a kick om the cup of his opponent. Leon has some good success with his hands, but this was Usman's five minutes.
10-8 Usman
Round four: This was Usman's round. Usman's grappling, and the threat of it, has Edwards a bit hesitant. However, Leon's left hand is very educated. Even when switching to orthodox, Edward's can put hand to face. Leon stuffed most of the takedowns, but the few that Kamaru's secured, coupled with the pressure, won him the round.
10-9 Usman
Round five: What a fight! Edwards' coach asked for a strong fifth round, and I believe he delivered. Usman ate these shots well and seemed a bit desperate to score a takedown. Edwards came ready to wrestle, though. Leon's kicks and boxing had Usman looking shook up a bit. Guess my scoring is pretty off today, though!
10-9 Edwards
Official result: And still! Leon Edwards via unanimous decision
UFC 286 Results: Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev Live
I don't care how bad I need to, I refuse to blink for the entirety of this fight. That sentiment is shared with anyone that knows anything about Justin Gaethje. This dude comes to fight every time! Gaethje has some of the most damaging stand-up skills in the UFC, but so does Rafael Fiziev.
Having gotten some experience under his belt in the Muay Thai world, Fiziev made the transition to MMA in 2015. 12-1, ‘Ataman' strolls into this co-main event slot riding a six-fight win streak. Though Gaethje has lost two of his last three, these losses were against some of the best lightweights to walk the earth. Either Gaethje will make his claim for another title shot, or Fiziev will force ‘The Highlight' to pass the torch.
Round one: Gaethje lands a nasty leg kick early on. Gaethje is composed, but Fiziev's speed is really showing in this fight. Gaethje is landing some great shots at the end of his combinations, which I think won him the round. Gaethje shot a takedown and has Fiziev thinking about it now. However, Rafael showed Justin a knee that might keep him from shooting anymore.
10-9 Gaethje
Round two: Fiziev's kicks are thudding. An eye poke stops the action but they get back at it shortly after. Fiziev seems to be dictating this round a bit more than the first. A front kick up the middle lands on Gaethje's face. Fiziev is wearing the damage, but I think he had the better moments.
10-9 Fiziev
Round three: What a war! Fiziev lands early and nearly drops ‘The Highlight', but it was all Justin after that though! Gaethje kept dipping and coming back up with an uppercut. This shot became a high percentage won for Justin. Just as it seems that the fight was up in the air, Gaethje scores a takedown, winning him the round for me.
10-9 Gaethje
Official result: Justin Gaethje via majority decision
UFC 286 Results: Gunnar Nelson vs Bryan Barberena Live
Gunnar Nelson is a long-time training partner of Conor McGregor and one of the most uniquely talented fighters on the roster. He has the grappling-savvy of world-class jiu-jitsu practitioners and very crafty striking. Originally slated to take on Daniel Rodriguez, who was forced to pull out, Nelson was open to any and all challengers to stay on the card.
Opportunity knocked and Bryan Barberena answered. ‘Bam Bam' is deathly afraid of boring fights. Truly a hard man to put away, Barberena will take the fight to Nelson. This is a bout that could bring out the best of both athletes, fireworks are expected.
Round one: Definitely a clash of styles when it comes to the striking. Nelson is rocking his typical karate stance and is keeping Barberena guessing. Nelson is able to press Bryan against the fence and use his double underhooks to score a takedown. Working on top, Gunnar is mixing in elbows while methodically working toward mount position. Once Bryan was mounted, Gunnar isolated an arm and dropped to the side for an armbar. With less than ten seconds left, Nelson gets the tap!
Official result: Gunnar Nelson vis submission
UFC 286 Results: Jennifer Maia vs Casey O'Neill Live
25-year-old Casey O'Neill breaks her year-long hiatus to fight at on another big stage! Last seen at UFC 271, O'Neill extended her record to 9-0 as she went to decision for her first time in the UFC against Roxanne Modafferi.
Some severe knee damage resulted in ‘King' Casey taking time off. While recovering, fighters like Jennifer Maia were staying active. A win over Maryna Moroz has the veteran Maia in a position to steal O'Niell's 0 and climb the ranks herself.
Round 1: Casey O'Neill seems to be back in good health. She's very willing to hang out in the pocket and trade shots. She landed the more significant blows and engaged at her pace, winning her the round in my opinion.
10-9 O'Neill
Round 2: Maia is slippin' and rippin' this round. She's upping her strike count at the expense of Casey's face now. O'Neill wasn't exactly outclassed, but she let this round slip away from her. I believe Maia's boxing won her this stanza.
10-9 Maia
Round 3: More of the same here. This round was also primarily contested as a kickboxing match. O'Neill was a bit bloodied up but she landed some of her best shots in this fight. Maia looked very good on the feet, though! Her boxing prowess as definitely improved. Couple that with a bit of control time against the cage and she may have won this fight!
10-9 Maia
Official result: Jennifer Maia via unanimous decision
UFC 286 Results: Marvin Vettori vs Roman Dolidze Live
If you're terrified of great matchmaking and potential barnburners, I'd advise you to look away. However, if superb matchmaking and incredible fighting prowess gets you excited, then this is quite the pay-per-view opener for you! Marven Vettori has fought who who's who of the division. With that being said, he's just been a bit short in a few key fights.
As ‘The Italian Dream' looks to keep himself in the middleweight top five, he'll try to do so at the expense of the surging Roman Dolidze. With a scrapping style as scary as his name, the 12-1 athlete will try to add to the winning ways of Georgian fighters. Vettori and Dolidze have a combined 21 finishes between them, so this is a can't-miss opening to what should be a great event! Below we'll post our UFC live results.
Round 1: Dolidze's size and power is apparent early on. Vettori seemed to be rocked, but his chin continues to hold up in the fire. Both fighters clash together time and time again. The two seemed to agree that this was going to be a striker's delight. A clash of heads puts a brief stop to the action, but it wasn't anything terrible. Dolidze lands right hand after right hand and stuns Vettori again.
10-9 Dolidze
Round 2: Roman Dolidze is feeling himself! He's pressing forward and trying to land that bomb of a right hand. Vettori kept his composure and popped Roman with some good shots, but I believe the pressure gives this round to the Georgian.
10-9 Dolidze
Round 3: Dolidze just big-brothered his way through Marvin Vettori in this one. It was close, don't get me wrong, but the pressure and pace of Dolidze should result in him getting his hand raised in this one.
10-9 Dolidze
Official result: Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision
