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A title trilogy fight tops the marquee as the UFC returns to London on Saturday for a much-anticipated UFC 286 pay-per-view card inside the O2 Arena.

Seven months removed from his dramatic fifth-round knockout of Kamaru Usman in their rematch, Leon Edwards still finds himself the betting underdog as he attempts to make the first defense of his UFC welterweight title in the rubber match against Usman. 

Former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje returns in the co-feature when he welcomes a streaking Rafael Fiziev in a pivotal matchup in the 155-pound title rankings. 

Let's take a closer look at the biggest storylines entering this weekend. 

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1. Can lightning strike twice for Leon Edwards?

Largely overlooked and/or dismissed by critics throughout a 10-fight unbeaten streak that led him to his first title shot at UFC 278, Edwards made the most of his career-defining moment last August. Despite being down on the scorecards in the final round, Edwards delivered the ultimate "Rocky" moment with a "head kick heard 'round the world" to finish Usman. It was the culmination of an incredible journey for the Jamaican-born resident of the U.K, whose numerous injuries and setbacks had prevented him from maximizing his true potential. Not only had Usman soundly defeated Edwards in their first meeting back in 2015, he was rated the pound-for-pound best in all of MMA entering their rematch and was one win away from tying Anderson Silva for the UFC record of 16 consecutive victories. Yet for as truly inspirational as Edwards' moment was, he'll need to do it a second time against Usman in Saturday's trilogy to be considered anything but a historical footnote or one-hit wonder. It's a reality that sounds harsh, especially considering how much Edwards has already overcome from those claiming he isn't marketable or exciting enough. But that's the road Edwards is used to and this time he will have his home crowd behind him to support him in his first title defense, similar to the homecoming Hall of Famer Michael Bisping received in his rematch with Dan Henderson at UFC 204 following his own upset title win. 

2. This is Kamaru Usman's moment of truth

The 19-fight win streak (including 15-0 in the UFC) Usman brought with him into last August's rematch can't be overlooked. Outside of a few brief moments of struggle, including being dropped by Gilbert Burns in the opening round of their 2021 title bout, the native of Nigeria had largely been dominant the entire way. His success, which includes five defenses of the 170-pound title he won from Tyron Woodley in 2019, even led Usman to openly campaign for a boxing match against Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez. Usman had also built his crossover brand enough to be offered an acting role in last fall's "Wakanda Forever" blockbuster, which was released two months after his UFC 278. Everything Usman accomplished throughout his career was already etched in stone, meaning the upset loss to Edwards in their rematch isn't enough to take any of it away from him, save for his momentum. But the loss does create a few legitimate questions as to how Usman, who turns 36 in May, recovers from being knocked out cold so violently, especially when he appeared so close to being on his way to achieving MMA immortality by equaling Silva's vaunted record. 

One thing to remember is that Edwards' victory wasn't simply blind luck. The head-kick KO was the culmination of extensive film study from him and his team regarding Usman's tendency to dip his head to the right while slipping a jab. Like Valentina Shevchenko's recent women's flyweight title loss to Alexa Grasso, Usman was partially a victim of his own success considering just how much tape there was out there of his tendencies. No fighter can ever be fully perfect, especially in a sport with so many ways to lose, especially after making a single mistake. But even though Usman's welterweight title reign speaks for itself in terms of being historically memorable, UFC 286 provides him with an opportunity to right his own wrong -- like Georges St-Pierre (against Matt Serra) and Amanda Nunes (in her immediate rematch with Julianna Pena) -- while truly doubling down on his greatness. 

3. Gaethje-Fiziev is a crossroads fight with violent potential

In a meeting of two of the top six ranked UFC fighters at 155 pounds, Saturday's co-main event could go a long way in shaking up the overall lightweight title picture. Can Gaethje, despite being finished in two title losses over his last three fights, carve out a path at age 34 to one more title shot or will the red-hot Fiziev, riding a six-fight win streak, firmly announce himself as the next lightweight threat? Either way, UFC fans are likely to be the winner given the potential for action in this matchup. If we're being honest, the last six years have produced nothing but memorable wars involving many of the top stars in the lightweight division, including Gaethje, Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, Eddie Alvarez and Rafael dos Anjos. Fresh off a trio of knockouts over dos Anjos, Brad Riddell and Renato Moicano over a four-fight stretch, Fiziev has the potential to join that group should he and Gaethje exceed expectations.

4. Roman Dolidze is a middleweight on a mission

Currently ranked ninth by the UFC at 185 pounds, the 34-year-old Georgian slugger appears poised to do damage on the top 10 of the division. Riding a four-fight win streak, it's Dolidze's last three fights, which all took place in 2022, that has fight fans buzzing. Dolidze scored a trio of knockouts over the final six months, dispatching Kyle Daukaus, Phil Hawes and Jack Hermansson. An opportunity to fight former title challenger and No. 4-ranked Marvin Vettori proves just how high UFC brass is on Dolidze's potential. With a 12-1 overall record in just six years as a pro, Dolidze remains an intriguing darkhorse threat to the title picture at large. A strong grappler by trade with plenty of international experience, Dolidze has evolved into a terrifying knockout threat thanks to his thundering punching power. Vettori, whose only UFC defeats have come against former champions Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya (twice), represents the perfect well-rounded challenge to find out just how for real Dolidze is.  

5. Women's flyweight could have yet another rising contender

Remember the not-too-distant past where Valentina Shevchenko ruled the UFC's 125-pound weight division with an iron fist, dispatching one overwhelmed title challenger after another? Those days are firmly behind us, not just due to Shevchenko's upset loss at UFC 285 to Alexa Grasso but the rising tide of intriguing new contenders including Manon Fiorot, Taila Santos and Erin Blanchfield. Another interesting name that could soon join that list is "King" Casey O'Neill, a 25-year-old kickboxer from Scotland, who brings a 9-0 record into Saturday's test opposite former title challenger Jennifer Maia. A torn ACL last spring slowed O'Neill's momentum, which she'll need to prove is fully behind her against Maia. Yet should she survive and advance against her toughest foe to date, O'Neill will likely be one more name to watch as a future flyweight attraction equipped with the mindset and talent necessary to shake up the division.