Chael Sonnen explains how Salt Lake City will "greatly favor Kamaru Usman" in UFC 278 fight against Leon Edwards
Chael Sonnen recently stated that Salt Lake City could favor Kamaru Usman in his rematch against Leon Edwards at UFC 278.
Usman and Edwards are set to lock horns for a second time on August 20 in Utah's capital city. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen explained that the city's high altitude could have a bearing on the fight. Usman trains in Colorado, which has the highest mean altitude of all US states. 'The Bad Guy' said:
"Elevation is a very real thing. How you're going to acclimate, how you are going to get those red blood cells. It's very relevant. And Salt Lake City, I hope they're taking this into consideration. Usman, a period of time ago, has gone to train at elevation. That's what Colorado's all about. The United States Olympic training center is placed in Colorado Springs. There's not a lot in Colorado Springs. One of the primary reasons our government chose to put it there is because of the elevation."
Sonnen said he was interested to see what kind of preparation both men would take. However, without any special work on Edwards' side, the fight venue could favor Kamaru Usman. 'The American Gangster' added:
"If they go apples to apples, it's going to greatly favor Kamaru Usman. Just what he's used to, just what he does every day when he trains in Colorado."
Watch Sonnen talk about Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman in the video below:
Fabricio Werdum's fight against Cain Velasquez is a great example of the benefits of getting used to high altitude before a fight.
Werdum arrived in Mexico City for his championship fight against Velasquez 30 days before the then-champion. He had more time to adapt and therefore developed better cardio in the process, which eventually played a major role in him winning the belt.
Kamaru Usman is the betting favorite to beat Leon Edwards again
Kamaru Usman has opened up as a sizable favorite for his rematch against Leon Edwards. He is a -250 favorite compared to Edwards being a +210 underdog.
Many believe 'Rocky' has the best chance of beating Usman in the 170lbs division. However, the same was said about the likes of Gilbert Burns, Jorge Masvidal, and Colby Covington. All of them fell prey to the champion.
That said, Leon Edwards certainly has the skills to beat Usman. He has evolved a lot from their first fight in 2015, which Usman won via decision.
Edwards has been on a 10-fight unbeaten streak since that contest and has established himself as the No.1 contender with his body of work. UFC 278 will give him the chance to finally realize UFC gold.