By Lourence Alturino
Image from BBC.com
WOW. What in the world did we just witness last night? Leon Edwards has knocked out Kamaru Usman cold and is the new Undisputed Welterweight champion. How did this happen? What happened during this fight? Let's break this fight down.
Recap
Round 1: The first round started off very hot for Leon Edwards. Midway through the round, Leon shocked everyone and took Usman down via a trip in the clinch. This would be the first time Usman has officially been taken down in a fight (though Colby Covington took Usman down in their last fight, which for some reason did not count). Edwards would then be on full mount, gain back control, and attempt a rear naked choke. Edwards would get fairly close to obtaining the submission if not for Usman's defense and fighting off the hands. Round 1 ends with Leon Edwards ahead.
Round 2-4: The next 3 rounds were the same story throughout. Kamaru would push the pace, control Edwards on the fence and on the ground, and would land big shots on the feet. Usman gave Edwards zero space to breathe, just smothering him against the fence for all of these rounds. This would frustrate Leon and his coaches, leading to his team to yell at Leon to motivate him not to give up. Usman's domination would get him the victory over these 3 rounds.
Round 5: The first half of the round continues just like the previous 3 with Usman leading the dance. After that, not much occurs as it seems like Usman is minutes away from retaining his 170 pound strap... until we get to the very last minute. 58 seconds left into the fight, Edwards feints a 1-2 and as Usman slips and leans to his right, Edwards lands a beautiful left roundhouse kick to put Kamaru Usman to sleep. Picture perfect bait and execution from Leon gets him probably the greatest knockout in the company's history.
What's Next?
We are undoubtedly getting an immediate rematch to complete the trilogy and it's the right thing to do. The Nigerian Nightmare has been well a nightmare to the welterweight division for years and was less than a minute away from continuing his title reign. Therefore, Usman should definitely get a rematch against Edwards. And there is no other place to do it than London, England. Dana White even said he wants to do it Wembley Stadium, so whenever it happens, we should be looking forward to the biggest and best fight possible.
Final Thoughts
I am still at a loss for words. This felt like a dream. Something out a movie. Kamaru Usman was winning the fight decisively and everyone had it in their heads that this one was over. Then boom, out of nowhere. Seriously the greatest comeback in MMA history. And if you were to add up the stakes, the situation, and the execution of this knockout, then we probably just witnessed the greatest KO in UFC history. The fact that someone of Usman's magnitude and potential GOAT status was just put to sleep is mind boggling. One of the craziest things to ever happen in this sport.
There's a couple of things we learned tonight. The fight is not over until it is over. He fought the perfect fight tonight, but Kamaru Usman is not invincible. And that Leon Edwards is the now the best welterweight in the world. England has not had a UFC World Champion ever since Michael Bisping in 2016 and now that changes.
Like I said this was a scene out of a movie. Leon Edwards has been treated like a joke for years. After being punched by Jorge Masvidal backstage, getting rocked by Nate Diaz, and having fight after fight get cancelled, Edwards has had a rough time in the UFC. And as he is facing all of the adversity in the world, he avenges his only ever loss and wins the gold. Rocky finally gets his "Rocky" moment. This was Leon Edwards' night and nobody can take it away from him.
Comments