Kamaru Usman has been relatively quiet since his historic winning streak and UFC welterweight title reign came to a screeching halt courtesy of a stunning knockout to Leon Edwards.
After decisively beating Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) by unanimous decision in their first encounter at UFC on FOX 17 in December 2015, Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) was well in control of the rematch at UFC 278 in August before a perfectly-timed head kick put him out cold in the fifth round.
The result set the stage for a trilogy match between the two sides, which takes place Saturday in the main event of UFC 286 at The 02 in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
In addition to having to go back into the octagon against the man who knocked him out in violent fashion, Usman is challenging for gold in Edwards’ native England in what’s certain to be a raucous and hostile crowd.
Despite his dominance prior to losing the strap, there are many questions about Usman’s mental state going into a rubber match where multiple factors seem to be going against him. Can he overcome them the hurdles and get the belt back around his waist?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Farah Hannoun and Danny Segura discussed it all with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. Check out their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.
“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.
