Oddsmakers are backing Kamaru Usman in his pursuit of another title defense.
As the “Nigerian Nightmare” chases Georges St-Pierre in welterweight title wins, he will have another opportunity to put one on the board against Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August.
With five already under his belt, Usman will defend 170-pound gold against Edwards, and he has opened up as the -300 favorite, with the Jamaican-born Englishman sitting at +250. The odds have since shifted, with Usman now at -341 and Edwards at +270 on the MyBookie website.
What this means is bet-makers who put money on Usman will need to fork over $341 to receive a profit of $100 if the champ wins. Those who put their money on the challenger will only need to put down $100 to return a profit of $270.
The two have already fought once before when neither man held a championship belt around their waist. At that point, Usman’s wrestling was too much for “Rocky” Edwards, but since then both have improved dramatically, Usman winning another 13 fights, including his title reign, and Edwards going on a 10-fight undefeated streak.
Here are the opening odds for the pair’s last five fights:
Kamaru Usman’s last five fights
- vs. Colby Covington (W): -225
- vs. Jorge Masvidal (W): -300
- vs. Jorge Masvidal (W): -260
- vs. Gilbert Burns (W): -225
- vs. Colby Covington (W): -200
Leon Edwards’ last five fights
- vs. Nate Diaz (W): -275
- vs. Belal Muhammad (NC): -270
- vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (W): -105
- vs. Gunnar Nelson (W): -130
- vs. Donald Cerrone (W): +115