Author: Dan Hiergesell

Leon Edwards did just enough to outlast Kamaru Usman in their trilogy fight and hold onto his UFC welterweight title earlier tonight (Sat., Mar. 18, 2023) at UFC 286 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside The O2 in London, England. The co-main event of the evening saw former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje bloody Rafael Fiziev for a majority decision (scorecard HERE).

In addition the main event trilogy bout, UFC 286 made good on the promotion’s return to London. From highlight-reel knockouts to back-and-forth wars, the card delivered from top to bottom. Check out some of the memorable performances below:

• Jake Hadley pushed his UFC record to 2-1 with a brutal body punch TKO over flyweight veteran Malcolm Gordon (highlights HERE)
• Undefeated flyweight prospect Muhammad Mokaev punched his ticket to the top 15 with a third-round submission finish over Jafel Filho (see HERE)

• A matchup of debuting lightweights ended with a 75-second knockout at the hands of Yanal Ashmoz
• Jack Shore made a memorable featherweight debut with a second-round submission finish over Makwan Amirkhani
• Welterweight contender Gunnar Nelson scored his first submission finish since 2018 with an armbar stoppage over Bryan Barberena (watch HERE)

In order to sift through the action and see which fighters took home a cool $50,000, we take a closer look at the official UFC 286 post-fight bonus winners below:

Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev

Performance of the Night: Jake Hadley

Performance of the Night: Gunnar Nelson

For complete UFC 286 results and coverage click here.

Colby Covington’s main event backup role may not have been a big deal earlier tonight (Sat., Mar. 18, 2023) at UFC 286 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside The O2 in London, England, but “Chaos” sure made his presence known following the conclusion of Leon Edwards’ main event title win over Kamaru Usman (scorecard HERE).

Many were caught off guard on Friday when Covington surprisingly weighed in to be the backup replacement for UFC 286’s trilogy fight between “Rocky” and Usman. Covington successfully made weight, but after things were made official for the main event he was able to sit back and enjoy the London action as a fan.

In fact, Covington received a sizable applause when he entered the arena to sit cageside at UFC 286. “Chaos” was there to see Edwards vs. Usman 3 up close. UFC’s broadcast team even involved Covington in Edwards’ post-fight speech, which promoted the welterweight contender to heckle the British champion from the crowd.

Check it out below:

After the fight, Covington caught up with UFC reporter, Megan Olivi, backstage to discuss UFC 286’s main event in more detail. According to “Chaos,” Edwards looked like he wasn’t motivated enough after becoming champion. He also suggested some “home-cooking judging” for the main event trilogy.

Check out the interview below:

“Yeah, I didn’t see anything special — I see a guy who isn’t hungry anymore,” Covington said. “It looks like he got the title and he made his money and he’s kind of cashed out. Of course he’s going to get some home-cooking judging — he got his little home affair. But, now it’s time to come see the man — the real champion, the people’s champion, the king of Miami. And, the most important title, Donald Trump’s favorite fighter.”

Covington later offered a more honest breakdown of Edwards vs. Usman 3.

“I don’t think Kamaru won — there was a lot of leg kicks landing, so I know those were adding up,” Covington said. “There were a lot of body kicks — he was probably more active. I’d have to look at the strike counts because I didn’t see what the volume was and who landed more strikes and whatnot, but it was a close, competitive fight.

”Honestly, when I was watching [at the end of the fight] I said, ‘I don’t know,’” Covington continued. “It was a coin toss — anybody’s fight.”

“Chaos” offered a final warning to Edwards following his second-straight win over Usman, calling him out for a clash at UFC 290 this coming July in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Now he’s going to fight a guy who is going to be in his face, a Southpaw,” Covington said. “Styles make fights and I’m going to finish him on home soil in America.”

Covington, 35, hasn’t competed since capturing a unanimous decision win over rival and former friend, Jorge Masvidal, back at UFC 272. “Chaos” has fallen short on two previous UFC title shots so it’s unknown at this time what the promotion has planned for him. But considering he was asked to be the backup fighter for UFC 286’s main event and came in on weight, UFC may opt to book Edwards vs. Covington next.

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For complete UFC 286 results and coverage click here.

*** To see the Edwards vs. Usman Official Scorecard Pic Click Here ***

With UFC 286 a wrap after an exciting day (Sat., Mar. 18, 2023) of fights on ESPN+ PPV from inside The O2 in London, England, fight fans can now check out the post-fight press conference video above for all the best reaction and official bonus winners.

On a day that featured a main event trilogy fight between UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards and former titleholder Kamaru Usman, a co-headliner pitting Justin Gaethje against fellow lightweight fireplug Rafael Fiziev, and a middleweight clash involving Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze, there will be a lot to discuss now that the action has concluded.

The post-fight presser is scheduled to go live 30-45 mins after the conclusion of UFC 286’s PPV main card. It will feature the biggest winners and losers from the card, as well as company President, Dana White.

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For complete UFC 286 results and coverage click here.

Leon Edwards outlasted Kamaru Usman earlier tonight (Sat., Mar. 18, 2023) at UFC 286 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside The O2 in London, England, to win their trilogy fight and retain his undisputed UFC welterweight championship of the world.

Edwards landed the more meaningful shots early with hard kicks to the legs and body. Usman eventually went to his wrestling and tried to score a takedown, but Edwards defended by grabbing the inside of the glove. Referee Herb Dean warned “Rocky.” Edwards kept things going with a brutal knee inside that hurt Usman in the second, but Usman found a home for a right hand and then an eventual takedown.

The third round saw Usman go back to his wrestling and gain top control early in the frame. Edwards worked back to his feet but then grabbed the fence when Usman attempted another takedown. He was deducted one point. Later in the frame Edwards hit Usman with his second groin shot, which in turn was the fourth foul “Rocky” committed in the fight.

Edwards slowed down in the fourth round which allowed Usman to dictate the pace and go back to his wrestling. “Rocky” recovered, though, and showcased better takedown defense over the final minutes of the frame. Edwards nearly scored another head kick knockout early into the fifth round, but Usman defended it this time and pinned the UFC champion against the cage. Edwards broke free and started to land hard uppercuts and knees. Usman retaliated with another takedown, but he couldn’t hold “Rocky” down.

In the end, it was Edwards who did enough on the scorecards to win the majority decision, even with the one-point deduction. Check out the official scorecard and some fight highlights below courtesy of UFC/ESPN:

For complete UFC 286 results and coverage click here.

Gunnar Nelson scored his first submission finish since 2018 earlier today (Sat., Mar. 18, 2023) at UFC 286 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside The O2 in London, England, when “Gunni” stopped fellow welterweight veteran Bryan Barberena with a first-round armbar.

Nelson hasn’t fought in a year, but the submission specialist remained calm from the opening bell. He utilized his karate stance to gauge distance and then changed levels to take Barberena down. Nelson quickly worked his way into full mount and Barberena eventually gave up his arm for the taking.

Check out the stoppage below courtesy of UFC/ESPN:

Nelson, 34, hasn’t finished a UFC fight by submission since a 2018 stoppage over Alex Oliveira at UFC 231. This is his second-straight win at 170 pounds and a performance that should put him back on track for a shot at the top 15.

For complete UFC 286 results and coverage click here.

The legendary Anderson Silva will be inducted into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Fame this coming July. News broke during the ESPN+ PPV broadcast of UFC 286 on Saturday night in London, England (results HERE).

Silva is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history and a top three UFC champion of all time. The former UFC middleweight king reigned over the 185-pound division from his Octagon debut in 2006 all the way to his rematch with rival Chael Sonnen in 2012. The man known as “Spider” still holds the UFC record for longest win streak (16) and the longest title reign in UFC history (2,457 days).

With career wins over the likes of Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Demian Maia, Forrest Griffin, Rich Franklin, and the aforementioned Sonnen, Silva sports one of the best resumes of any UFC fighter ever. The Brazilian did leave the promotion on a 1-7 (1 NC) skid, but that doesn’t take anything away from Silva’s epic career.

“Anderson Silva is one of the greatest athletes of all time,” UFC president Dana White said in an official UFC press release. “Anderson’s 16-fight winning streak in the UFC, 10 successful title defenses and almost seven years as middleweight champion were one of the most remarkable things we’ve ever seen in professional sports. He was an absolute artist inside the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

Silva, 47, has moved on to a career in professional boxing after parting ways with UFC back in 2020. “Spider” scored wins over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz before Jake Paul defeated him via unanimous decision in Oct. 2022.

Silva will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as the 19^th member of the Pioneer Era Wing and is expected to be inducted this July during International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nevada.