The UFC heads to Utah on Saturday, with a rematch between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards that many MMA fans will feel is long overdue.
The two fighters faced each other early in their UFC careers back in 2015. Usman came out on top that evening, but both men have gone on to improve significantly in the intervening years.
So read on to discover how to watch a UFC 278 live stream online with ESPN+ hosting exclusive coverage in the US.
Usman is the present welterweight champ and pound-for-pound king of the Octagon, currently enjoying a 19-bout winning streak.
Edwards has been on a similarly impressive victory run of nine straight wins, with his last taste of defeat coming against his opponent here.
Alongside the headline act, UFC 278’s card also features former featherweight champion Jose Aldo’s bantamweight showdown with Merab Dvalishvili as the co-main event.
Follow our guide below as we explain how to live stream UFC 278 and watch Usman vs Edwards and the rest online tonight.
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UFC 278 live stream: how to watch Usman vs Edwards in the US
See UFC 278 exclusively on ESPN+ PPV
The exclusive rights for US coverage is with UFC on ESPN Plus, meaning it is the one place to watch it. The main card starts at 10pm ET / 7pm PT, with Usman vs Edwards expected to enter the Octagon some time from midnight ET / 9pm PT – depending on the pace of the other fights.
There are three options on cost, which depend on whether or not you already subscribe to the service.
1. Existing ESPN Plus subscribers
If you already enjoy the fruits of ESPN Plus, then it’s very straight forward. It’s a classic pay-per-view scenario, and you’ll need to spend $69.99 to watch UFC 268.
2. UFC 278 + ESPN Plus
If you don’t yet subscribe to ESPN Plus, then you can take advantage of this great value offer. You’ll need to go for the UFC Bundle, costing you $89.98. That gets you both the UFC 278 PPV and a year-long subscription to ESPN+ that would normally cost $60 alone!
3. UFC 278 + Disney Plus/ESPN Plus/ Hulu bundle
Your final option is to buy access to UFC 268 for $83.98 and, with it, get one month of access to the Disney Plus Bundle. So that’s a jam-packed 30 days of everything on Disney Plus – think all of Marvel, Pixar, The Simpsons, Star Wars and stacks more – the full catalog of live sports and documentaries on ESPN+, AND the hundreds of box sets and films on Hulu.
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How to live stream UFC 278 without PPV in Europe
As we say, you’re kind of stuck if you’re in the US. It’s PPV or bust.
Not so in Europe – probably because it’s on during the middle of the night! Instead, it’s sports streaming specialist DAZN that has the rights.
So if you’re a UFC fan in any of Austria, Italy, Germany or Spain, then get yourself over to the DAZN website.
Even better news…you can actually watch absolutely FREE in certain regions (we can confirm that is the case in Germany, Austria and Spain, for example). That’s thanks to a 30-day free trial, that you can take advantage of if you’ve never had a subscription before.
How to watch Usman vs Edwards: live stream UFC 278 in the UK
BT Sport has exclusive broadcast rights to UFC events in the UK right now, and the great news is that despite its tasty line up of fights, this weekend’s UFC 278 action won’t be a PPV event in the UK!
You’ll need to tune into BT Sport 1 for all the action from NYC, with coverage of the Prelims starting at 1am ahead of the main card two hours later early on Sunday morning.
Don’t forget that you can now get BT Sport without a big commitment thanks to a BT Sport Monthly Pass. It costs £25 and gets you all of BT Sport’s goodies – including Premier League football and Premiership rugby – for a whole month.
The broadcaster’s coverage of UFC is also available via the BT Sport app and on its website, so you can live stream UFC on most devices these day.
You can also access your BT Sport subscription or monthly pass from overseas if you’re away from home. To do that you’ll need a VPN to relocate your IP back to the UK as per our guide above.
Usman vs Edwards 2: live stream UFC 278 in Canada
There are a host of pay-per-view providers offering a Usman vs Edwards 2 live stream in Canada on Saturday.
You can head to the likes of Shaw, Bell, Rogers, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus or Eastlink with pricing at CAD$64.99. It’s also available on the UFC Fight Pass PPV.
Tune into the main card from 10pm ET / 7pm PT on Saturday, August 20.
UFC 278 live stream: how to watch Usman vs Edwards online in Australia
As per usual, you’ll find UFC 278 and Usman vs Edwards available on PPV in Australia, setting you back AUD$54.95.
The main card is set to take place at 12pm AEST on Sunday. Usman and Edwards are expected to make their way toward the Octagon around 2pm AEST.
So to watch the fight, you’ll need to sign up via the Foxtel site or Kayo Sports Main Event. Click the link where you can sign up to watch, where you’ll then be able to live stream the whole event via your web browser and devices like Android, iOS, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Telstra TV and Chromecast.
You can also catch all the prelims and the main card using UFC Fight Pass.
Usman vs Edwards live stream: how to watch UFC 278 in New Zealand
Sky Arenais offering New Zealand viewers a Usman vs Edwards live stream – with the PPV priced at NZ$39.95 for all the main card action.
You’ll want to make sure you’re watching from at least the 2pm NZST main card start time on Sunday, August 21 to get all the action.
The headline Usman vs Edwards fight is expected any time from 4pm NZST, depending on how the rest of the card plays out.
Usman vs Edwards preview and predictions
Could an upset be on the cards on Saturday?
Leon Edwards has had to wait seven years to get his chance of revenge, and is a now a very different prospect to the fighter that lost to an unanimous decision to Kamaru Usman in Florida back in 2015.
The British fighter has honed a superb takedown defence in the intervening years which could nullify Usman’s main weapon.
Couple that with his impressive striking ability, and it could add up to a new 170-pound champ being crowned on Saturday night.
Who is Kamaru Usman?
Having chalked up 19 straight MMA victories, Kamaru Usman is one of MMA’s best grapplers and took the welterweight crown from Tyron Woodley in 2019 at UFC 235.
While the “Nigerian Nightmare” is known for his floor work, he can punch his way out of trouble when needed, and perfectly illustrated his fists as a means of attack in knockout wins against the likes of Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal.
Who is Leon Edwards?
Jamaican-born British star Leon Edwards escaped a world of gang violence in Birmingham thanks to MMA.
Making his professional debut at 19, Edwards would eventually sign up with the UFC four years later.
He has since gone on to chalk up 11 wins from 14 fights and a victory on Saturday would see him become Britain’s first champion since Michael Bisping in 2016.
Usman vs Edwards latest odds: who is the favorite to win?
Defending champ Usman is once again the favorite for this rematch, coming in at 1/5 with the majority of bookies, with Edwards marked out at 3/1 to end the Nigerian Nightmare’s 19-fight unbeaten streak.
Usman vs Edwards: recent results
Usman’s last title defence came back in November at UFC 268 with his rematch fight with Colby Covington ending in a unanimous points win for the Nigerian Nightmare after Usman had dropped the challenger twice in quick succession at the end of the second round.
Edwards’ last appearance in the Octagon came at UFC 263 in June last year, with the British fighter claiming a clear points win over Nate Diaz after dominating the first four rounds and most of the fifth.
UFC 278 full card and highlights
Beyond the much anticipated headline act rematch, UFC 278’s co-main event sees the return of former middleweight champ Luke Rockhold in a tasty match up with Paulo Costa.
Veteran Jose Aldo’s trademark takedown defence will meanwhile need to be full force as he takes on up-and-coming wrestling specialist Merab Dvalishvili in a much-anticipated Bantamweight showdown.
Main Card
Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards
Luke Rockhold vs Paulo Costa
Jose Aldo vs Merab Dvalishvili
Marcin Tybura vs Alexandr Romanov
Tyson Pedro vs Harry Hunsucker
Preliminary Card
Leonardo Santos vs Jared Gordon
Wu Yanan vs Lucie Pudilova
Sean Woodson vs Luis Saldana
Miranda Maverick vs Shanna Young
Early Preliminary Card
A.J. Fletcher vs Ange Loosa
Amir Albazi vs Francisco Figueiredo
Aoriqileng vs Jay Perrin
Daniel Lacerda vs Victor Altamirano