When Kamaru Usman steps into the cage on Saturday against Leon Edwards, he will be defending not just his UFC welterweight title, but also his status as mixed martial arts' top pound-for-pound talent.
Usman, 35, has never lost in the UFC, compiling a 15-0 run in the welterweight division since winning his season of the popular reality show The Ultimate Fighter.
After nine wins with the promotion, Usman was rewarded with a title shot against Tyron Woodley and manhandled the champion in dominating fashion, and since his first defence against Colby Covington in a competitive win, he is yet to be truly challenged.
Against an elite striker, he defeated Jorge Masvidal twice, including a stunning knockout in their second meeting.
When faced with an elite wrestler in Covington – who has arguably not lost a single round to anybody other than Usman since 2015 – the champion showed incredible toughness to outlast his outspoken opponent for a technical knockout in the first fight, before completely dominating the rematch to close that chapter.
Completing his championship resume is his knockout victory against Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Gilbert Burns, who figured to be too good of a grappler to be manhandled by Usman, so he instead unveiled his new and improved jab to pummel the challenger to a third-round stoppage.
To this point of his championship reign, Usman has fought specialists, and has passed every test with flying colours – so what happens against a supreme jack of all trades like Edwards?
His British opponent is undefeated in the past seven years, with Edwards' last loss coming against the very champion he is looking to dethrone, going down to Usman via unanimous decision in December 2015.
Why should anything be different this time around? Well, while Usman was a 28-year-old imposing physical specimen in 2015, Edwards was a raw 24-year-old less than a year removed from a split-decision loss to journeyman Claudio Silva.
Usman had grown up as a wrestler, competing his entire life in the sport, culminating in a 44-1 record and a division two national championship as a senior in college before deciding to pivot to mixed martial arts.
Edwards grew up in Birmingham, after moving from Jamaica at nine years old, with no real grappling background, and at such an early stage in his career, he was unequipped to handle the smothering physical presence which Usman presented.
Seven years later, Edwards is a completely different fighter, with some of the sharpest kickboxing in the division, as well as a terrific pressure-grappling game.
Among active UFC welterweights, Edwards absorbs the second-fewest strikes per minute at 2.15, trailing only Michael Chiesa (0.79) who has since moved down to lightweight. He also finds himself in the top-10 for total grappling control time and takedowns landed.
It creates an interesting dynamic, as not only has Edwards become someone nearly impossible to control in the grappling side of things, but he is also an expert in point-fighting on the feet, while being extremely durable.
Despite this being his first title fight, Edwards has an average fight time of 15 minutes and 15 seconds – which is notable considering all non-main events only last 15 minutes. It shows he thrives in long, grinding fights, which he is sure to be faced with against Usman.
It poses the question: What is Usman's game plan?
Against another terrific controlling grappler – Covington – Usman was able to rely on his below-average striking and turn it into a kickboxing match since Covington's striking was also so weak.
Usman's striking has improved significantly, but he will not have an advantage in that area against Edwards, and while Usman is seemingly impossible to finish with strikes, Edwards has shown repeatedly that he is more than happy to point-fight his way to a decision.
So what happens if Usman's first few takedown attempts are unsuccessful, and this turns into a rangy kickboxing battle?
Does he continue to try and grapple and clinch, pushing Edwards against the cage, using his physicality, or does he try to test out his developing striking skills? If he opts for the latter, he could find himself down a round or two against a fighter who will not slow down, and who has been planning for this rematch for seven years.
Knockouts can be addicting, and after three consecutive eye-opening striking performances from Usman, who has been working with world-famous striking coach Trevor Wittman for two years now, his hubris in his standup abilities could prove to be his fatal flaw against an opponent so skilled in avoiding damage on the feet.
Usman is the deserved favourite, the current pound-for-pound king and the most dominant champion in the male divisions.
But to beat such an established minute-winner in what is almost assured to be a 25-minute decision, Usman must avoid his own ego and steer clear of the striking exchanges that have defined his evolution as a champion.
The Numbers Game: Can Tottenham get back on track against Chelsea?
When Brennan Johnson tucked in Tottenham's fourth in their demolition of Manchester City a couple of weeks ago, few would have expected the pressure would soon be mounting on Ange Postecoglou.
Yet after Thursday's tame performance in a 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth, the Australian faced jeers from a section of the travelling Spurs fans at the Vitality Stadium.
Spurs are now winless in their last three games in all competitions, having drawn against Roma in the Europa League and then Fulham in the Premier League. Before that stunning win at Man City, Tottenham also slipped to a 2-1 home loss to Ipswich Town.
Tottenham are back at home on Sunday, but they will go up against one of the Premier League's form teams.
Enzo Maresca declared that "Chelsea are back" after a 5-1 win at bottom-of-the-league Southampton moved the Blues into second on Wednesday, seven points behind leaders Liverpool.
Will Chelsea make it four top-flight wins on the spin, or can Spurs get back on track?
What's expected?
Chelsea are made the favourites by the Opta supercomputer, though the model expects a hard-fought encounter.
The Blues are given a win probability of 43.2%, while Tottenham came out on top in 32.7% of the data-led simulations. There is a 24.1% chance of a draw.
Tottenham have won just one of their last 11 Premier League games against Chelsea (D2 L8), picking up a 2-0 home win in February 2023.
After a run of just two wins in 13 Premier League away games against Tottenham between 2006 and 2018 (D5 L6), Chelsea have won four of their last five visits to Spurs (L1).
Spurs were unbeaten in their first four Premier League London derbies under Postecoglou (W2 D2), but have lost seven of their last 13 (W4 D2). Five of their six London derby wins under the former Celtic boss have been at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, however.
Chelsea have won 35 Premier League games and scored 116 Premier League goals against Tottenham, more than they have against any other opponent. It’s also the most goals Spurs have conceded against a side, while they have only lost more times to Manchester United (39).
The Blues have also won five of their seven games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in all competitions (D1 L1), the most wins any visiting side has picked up at the ground since Spurs moved there in 2019.
Hot and cold
Spurs' inconsistency this season is why they are 10th heading into the weekend. Despite the unrest from some fans, Postecoglou will surely point to the fact that they are only three points off fifth-place Brighton.
Postecoglou did perhaps not help himself by insisting he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club, but Spurs are still in the EFL Cup and are well placed in the Europa League. A top-four finish in the Premier League is unlikely but is far from out of sight.
Only two teams - Chelsea (31) and Liverpool (29) - have scored more Premier League goals than Spurs this season, but their issues have come at the other end of the pitch, by and large.
Tottenham have kept just one clean sheet in their last 22 Premier League home games (4-0 vs Everton this season), a run which started with a 4-1 loss against Chelsea last November. Indeed, since the start of November 2023, no side currently in England’s top four tiers have recorded fewer home league shutouts than Spurs.
Spurs have lost seven of their last 11 Premier League away games (W3 D1), while they have not won on the road when conceding first in the competition since a 5-2 win at Burnley in September 2023 (D2 L8 since).
Postecoglou will likely be glad to be back on home turf this time out. That being said, they have taken just one point from their last two top-flight matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
But if the fans can get behind them, then Spurs have a great weapon in their arsenal: their pressing.
Spurs have forced 142 high turnovers in the league this term, more than any other team. However, only two of those have resulted in a goal.
Maresca's magic touch
In all competitions, Chelsea have scored 57 goals in 22 games this season, which is already seven more than they scored in 2022-23 (50 in 50 games). Their current goals-per-game ratio of 2.6 is their best in a single season in their entire history.
Goals have come from across their squad, too. The Blues have had 10 different goalscorers in the top tier.
Cole Palmer leads the way with nine, while the in-form Nicolas Jackson has eight. Noni Madueke has netted five times and Enzo Fernandez, who has also proved a creative force, providing six assists in his last five league games, has scored twice.
Meanwhile, only Erling Haaland (17) and Mohamed Salah (15) have scored more goals in all competitions among Premier League players this season than Christopher Nkunku (12) – the Frenchman has now found the net in eight of his last nine starts, scoring 11 times.
Chelsea are not only the league's leading scorers, they have also created the highest expected goals (xG) total at 29.8.
They have had 213 shots, the fifth-highest tally in the competition. Their xG per shot comes out at 0.13, which means that, on average, each of their attempts has a 13% chance of going in.
Only Liverpool (57) have had more big chances than the Blues (51), meanwhile, and given they are going up against such a fragile defence, Maresca's attackers should be licking their lips.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham - Brennan Johnson
Johnson has scored three goals across his last five home appearances in the Premier League, more than across his previous 24 outings at home in the competition for Spurs and Nottingham Forest (two goals).
Chelsea - Nicolas Jackson
Jackson has scored four goals in his two Premier League games against Spurs, netting a hat-trick in the corresponding fixture last season.
“There’s levels to this”- Brown believes experience will give him the edge over Battle at UFC 310
Jamaican UFC Welterweight Randy Brown is feeling good ahead of his next trip to the octagon at UFC 310 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this Saturday.
The 34-year-old will take on surging contender Bryan Battle on the back of wins in seven of his last eight including three straight since a loss to Australian Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 284 on February 11 last year in Perth, Australia.
“Life has been good. Just been grinding. Nothing’s changed for me,” Brown said at UFC media day on Wednesday.
“I’ve just been on the clock, developing and getting better, doing what I need to do,” he added.
In an ideal situation, Brown said he would’ve been fighting a ranked opponent on Saturday.
However, with Battle being a fighter with star power and momentum, also coming into this fight on a three-fight win streak, Brown plans to use this opportunity as a springboard into bigger fights.
“Yeah, for sure but I’ve seen them before. They come and they go. They get their moments. I’m happy for him and proud of him for doing what he’s doing but I do think he’s someone I can bounce off of to help me move forward,” said Brown.
“He’s someone I need to get past in order to move to my ultimate goal,” he added.
Brown was also complimentary of his opponent’s skills heading into Saturday, calling him “a tremendous athlete and martial artist.”
“He puts it together well,” he said.
“I’m most impressed with his durability. His ability to take damage and move forward. He’s a grinder,” Brown added.
With that in mind, Brown believes his experience will lead him to a fourth victory in a row. Brown has been in the UFC since 2016 while Battle made his UFC debut in 2021.
“With that being said, I’ve seen him before. I think that this is one of those fights that he’s going to run into someone that’s more experienced and has seen it all before and that’s going to be a shocker for him. There’s levels to this, ultimately,” he said.
Women's Super League predictions: Seagulls' wings to be clipped by perfect Chelsea?
The Women's Super League returns following the international break, with a super Sunday slate of six games promising plenty more thrills and spills.
Chelsea remain perfect at the top of the tree as the season hurtles towards Christmas, winning their first eight WSL matches under Sonia Bompastor – and their first 12 across all competitions.
Brighton and Hove Albion – who are soaring in third after acquiring Chelsea icon Fran Kirby in the off-season – are the next team to attempt to halt their charge.
The day's action begins with a showdown between rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, while Chelsea's foremost challengers Manchester City take on Leicester City.
Elsewhere, Arsenal – still unbeaten under interim boss Renee Slegers – welcome Aston Villa and there are tussles between Tottenham and Everton, and West Ham and Crystal Palace.
But which way will this week's games go? We turned to the trusty Opta supercomputer to get its weekly predictions.
MAN UTD V LIVERPOOL
Leigh Sports Village Stadium plays host to Sunday's first game as United look to bounce back from their first defeat of the campaign – against Chelsea last time out. They last suffered successive WSL defeats in the final two matchweeks of 2023-24. Those defeats came against Chelsea and Liverpool.
However, the Red Devils boast a positive record against Liverpool, winning two of their three at home against them in the WSL (one loss), including a 6-0 win in January 2023, which remains their biggest victory in the competition.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have lost their last two league games without scoring (0-3 versus Chelsea, 0-1 against Everton); they last lost three in a row in the competition in November 2022 (a run of five).
United will need to step things up in attack, having only managed three shots in their defeat to Chelsea on November 24, their fewest in any of their 110 WSL matches.
If they can find their shooting boots, they should be confident of victory. The Opta supercomputer gives them a 62% chance of a win, compared to 17.9% for Liverpool and a 20.1% likelihood of a draw.
TOTTENHAM V EVERTON
Tottenham suffered comprehensive defeats to both Man City and Arsenal before the international break, and they will attempt to bounce back against an Everton side that finally got their first win on the board last time out, beating Merseyside rivals Liverpool 1-0.
The Toffees have a 50% win rate against Tottenham in the WSL (five wins, four draws, one loss), only boasting a better ratio against Aston Villa (63%) in the competition.
Tottenham also have the leakiest defence in the division this term, shipping 21 goals through eight games – their most ever at this stage of a top-flight campaign.
Yet they are still favoured by the supercomputer, with home advantage surely a key factor given Everton are winless in four away matches this season. Spurs triumphed in 53.3% of our pre-match simulations, with Everton winning 22.8% and 23.9% ending all square.
MAN CITY V LEICESTER
Kicking off one hour before the league leaders, Gareth Taylor's Man City have a chance to cut the gap at the summit – even if only temporarily – to two points when they host Leicester.
A victory for the hosts would represent Taylor's 72nd in the WSL and take him level with Nick Cushing for the second-most victories by any manager in the competition's history (Emma Hayes has 151).
The supercomputer certainly fancies his chances of climbing those charts, with City victorious in 89.5% of pre-match simulations, only losing in 3.6% and being held to a draw in 6.8%.
Though City saw their unbeaten start to the campaign halted by Chelsea last time out, it is easy to see why they are such hefty favourites. They have won 11 of their last 12 home WSL matches (one loss) and have never lost on their own turf in the month of December (eight games, seven wins, one draw).
Chloe Kelly will be one to watch for struggling Leicester, having scored in each of her last three WSL games against the Foxes. However, she is currently on her longest drought in the competition, failing to net in 13 outings since she last scored in February – against Leicester.
CHELSEA V BRIGHTON
Chelsea coach Bompastor has already made history by winning her first eight WSL games at the helm – a feat no manager had previously achieved.
On Sunday, her Blues team could equal the best-ever start to a season in competition history, as only Arsenal in 2018-19 have ever started a campaign with nine straight victories.
Brighton, however, have won five of their eight league matches this campaign to sit third, eight points adrift of the Blues. The Seagulls already have as many victories in 2023-24 as they managed across the whole of last season in the top flight (five).
Former Chelsea star Kirby has been key to their rise, and she registered a goal and an assist as they beat West Ham 3-2 last time out. That made her just the fourth player to register 100 or more WSL goal involvements, with her total of 101 now only surpassed by Vivianne Miedema (116) and Beth Mead (111). Beth England has 100 exactly.
Despite Brighton's strong start, Chelsea are – as most observers would expect – big favourites.
The supercomputer gives the Blues a 90.8% chance of remaining perfect, with Brighton assigned just a 3.1% chance of victory and the likelihood of a draw rated at 6%.
ARSENAL V ASTON VILLA
Chelsea are not the only team likely to be cursing the timing of the international break. Arsenal have been on a roll since Slegers took over from Jonas Eidevall, going unbeaten in seven games across all competitions under their interim coach.
With Aston Villa only winning once in eight matches this term, the Gunners are big favourites (83.3%) for victory with the supercomputer on Sunday. Villa are given just a 6.2% chance of inflicting Slegers' first defeat, and a 10.5% hope of escaping the Emirates Stadium with a point.
Arsenal have won their last two WSL games without conceding and could now register three straight victories to nil for the first time since October 2022, when they put together a remarkable run of 10 successive wins without conceding.
They have been boosted by the return to form of Alessia Russo, who is aiming to score in four straight matches in the WSL for the first time. Only Khadija Shaw and Guro Reiten (four) bettered her three WSL goals during the month of November.
The Gunners had better beware Villa's strong record in London, though. Only Man City (55%) and Man Utd (35%) have a better WSL win rate in the capital than Villa (29%) among clubs hailing from outside London.
WEST HAM V CRYSTAL PALACE
Sunday's action ends with a London derby between West Ham and Crystal Palace, with the two teams occupying the bottom two places in the league with five points apiece.
The supercomputer sees this game as the most difficult to call across the division on matchday nine. West Ham won 45.7% of our pre-match simulations, with 26.8% finishing level and 27.5% going Palace's way.
Since the start of last season, West Ham have lost the most games (18), won the fewest points (20), conceded the joint-most goals (59) and scored the fewest goals (26) of any ever-present team in the WSL.
However, they did beat Leicester in their last home match and will have noted Palace's tendency to throw points away.
Only Villa (eight) have dropped more points from winning positions than Palace (seven) in the WSL this term, with the Eagles going 1-0 ahead in three of their last four league matches but failing to win any.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
