Former welterweight champion Leon Edwards looks to establish himself as the next challenger for the title when he clashes with Sean Brady in the main event at UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena in London on Saturday (4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with prelims at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+).
Edwards, ESPN's No. 2-ranked welterweight, has not fought since dropping the title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 last July. Before the loss, Edwards was on a four-fight winning streak that included two wins over fellow former champ Kamaru Usman.
Brady, No. 5 in ESPN's divisional rankings, has won back-to-back fights over Kelvin Gastelum and Gilbert Burns, respectively. Three of Brady's seven UFC wins have come via submission.
Andreas Hale spoke to UFC strawweight Angela Hill to get her perspective on the UFC main event. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight and analysis on the main event and other intriguing bets he likes on the card.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Welterweight: Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady
Angela Hill, UFC strawweight
How Edwards wins: Edwards wins by putting on the pressure, being patient, pushing Brady back and using leg feints to keep him from attempting takedowns. He allowed Muhammad to push him back and take him down in the last fight, but the one time Edwards went forward, he was able to stuff Muhammad's takedown attempt. He has to force Brady to hesitate, and that means Edwards will have to move forward constantly rather than wait to see what his opponent does. He also has to use his wrestling skills -- an underrated strength. If he doesn't, he's too predictable. When he mixed up his striking and grappling with Colby Covington and in the second fight with Usman, he was able to dominate.
How Brady wins: Brady's best fights are also when he mixes his striking and his grappling. His striking isn't perfect, but it is effective when he uses it to push opponents back, forcing them to keep their guard high so he can shoot underneath and get a takedown. He has to pressure Edwards and be relentless, because Edwards has shown he can be smothered when fighting tired and off the back foot in the later rounds. Brady's powerful left hand and leg kicks will open things up for his offense, if he uses them. He also can't rush the submission attempts when he's in position.
X factor: For Edwards, it is whether he can command all of his skills -- including grappling -- in the fight. He has to be almost perfect and put everything together to win this fight. For Brady, it's the fear of his elite grappling. If he makes Edwards flinch with his level changes, he can take over the fight.
Prediction: Edwards by decision.
Betting analysis
Odds accurate as of publication. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET 
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Parker: Brady to win (-155). After losing the title to Muhammad, Edwards needs to get past a similar style of opponent in Brady if he plans to earn another shot at Muhammad. Edwards has to keep this fight on the feet if he wants to get a win. He cannot start slowly, which would allow Brady to dictate the pace. Edwards' style is not one that gets better as the fights go on. When Edwards is an aggressive striker, he is as dangerous as anyone. Unfortunately, we rarely see that version of him, so I am taking Brady here. On the feet, Edwards will have the advantage, but he will likely be so concerned about takedowns that he will keep his hands low and be hesitant to strike. Brady is a monster in the grappling department, and once he takes Edwards down, his physical strength will allow him to bully Edwards into the type of fight he wants.
Parker's best bets on the rest of the card
Carlos Ulberg finishes Alonzo Menifield in just 12 seconds at UFC Fight Night.
Light heavyweight: Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg
Blachowicz to win (+235). I'm shocked to see Blachowicz as an underdog to Ulberg. I understand Ulberg has been fun to watch and is riding a seven-fight winning streak, but none of those wins came against a top fighter in the division. The win against Volkan Oezdemir didn't leave me thinking he was ready for the next step, so unless he knocks out Blachowicz in Round 1, I don't see how else he will win this fight. Maybe the oddsmakers are considering that Blachowicz hasn't fought since July 2023, when he lost a split decision to Alex Pereira (which I thought he won). Luckily for us, Blachowicz is the better fighter no matter where the fight goes and has underrated wrestling and grappling skills that he can use when necessary. As long as he can survive the early power of Ulberg, at underdog odds, Blachowicz is the pick.
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood vs. Morgan Charrière
Charrière to win (-155). This could end up being the fight of the night. After his loss to Chepe Mariscal, in a wild fight, Charrière bounced back with a beautiful KO win over Gabriel Miranda last September. Charrière will have the speed and size advantage in this fight, which will come into play if Wood attempts to make this into a wrestling match. As long as Charrière can keep this fight standing, expect him to get the win in what most likely will be a competitive fight.
Middleweight: Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Andrey Pulyaev
Over 1.5 rounds (-155). Duncan is a near 3-1 favorite, and while I think he gets a win here, that's way too expensive of a line. And there is another play that I like much more: over 1.5 rounds. Duncan has gone over the 1.5 rounds mark in three of his past four fights and Pulyaev, who is durable, will look to close the distance and grapple. Expect Duncan to fend off takedowns early and win the fight by outstriking his opponent from a distance.