SALT LAKE CITY – Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards had their first formal face-to-face interaction of fight week on Thursday at the UFC 278 pre-fight news conference.
After taking questions from the media and exchanging words going into the welterweight title rematch, the reigning champ Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) and challenger Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) engaged in a staredown.
There was no shortage of intensity on the stage, but both men kept things professional.
Check out the video above to watch the faceoff.
Usman, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings, defeated No. 3-ranked welterweight Edwards by unanimous decision at UFC on FOX 17 in December 2015. Neither man has lost since, and now they will run it back and it’ll either be repeat or revenge.
UFC 278 takes place at Vivant Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.
