August 21, (THEWILL) – The mixed martial arts world has been rocked by Leon Edwards, whose come-from-behind head kick knockout of reigning Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman late in Round 5 of the main event of UFC 278 on Saturday night, made him the new champion.
Edwards registered the first ever takedown of the nearly flawless Usman in Round 1, but he was unable to sustain any momentum in the subsequent rounds. Usman appeared to be on his way to yet another championship defence as he inched ever closer to Anderson Silva’s all-time record for most title defences, gaining control of the fight with his superior wrestling and heavy boxing combinations.
Even though Usman’s pace dropped in Round 5, the champion was likely headed for a unanimous decision victory. Edwards appeared defeated in his corner as his camp pleaded with him to pick up the tempo in the decisive round.
Then, at the 4:04 minute mark in Round 5, Edwards suddenly fired off a right jab feint that forced Usman to move his head to the left to avoid it only to be met with a left head kick from Edwards that instantly knocked the champion out, sending him to the canvas in shock.
Edwards therefore improved his record to 20-3 (1 NC). His winning streak now stands at 11. But, it was the first loss for the “Nigerian Nightmare” in nine years and it finally breaks his 19-fight winning run. It was also fourth in the ranking of late wins in a championship bout, a few seconds later than Usman’s own finish of Colby Covington in 2019.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
