SALT LAKE CITY – Leon Edwards managed to beat the sport’s top fighters at UFC 278 despite feeling like he had a bad night.
Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) won Kamaru Usman’s second win with a shocking knockout header on Saturday at Vivint Arena Middleweight champion.
After a strong start and a first-round win, Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) picked up the pace and managed to hold the middle three rounds on the scorecard. He also played well in the final innings until Edwards delivered a perfect blow to force the belt to change hands with 56 seconds left.
“Going into it, I knew it was going to be a tough fight,” Edwards told MMA Junkie and other reporters at UFC 278’s post-fight press conference. “I’ve been saying it all week. But I believe I’m the better person – but even though it was one of my worst performances, it was just that, I got a clean grade. …I The body just wasn’t reacting the way it should. I don’t know if it was the altitude, but when I was in the background watching other people fighting on TV, everyone was so exhausted that they were out of breath. I was like , “Why is everyone tired? “When I went there after the first round, I felt it. My body wasn’t responding.
“It’s not a heart issue, it’s like my body isn’t responding. But I stayed focused and my coach encouraged me and kept reminding me, ‘You’re still fighting, you’re the best, fighting to the end. That combination that I trained with the coach, that left-crossed header, it landed perfectly. “
After losing to Usman at the UFC at FOX 17 in December 2015, Edwards previously said at UFC 278 that he hoped to be evenly matched for a trilogy fight.
Edwards’ stance on the situation has not changed after a clean sweep. Usman has the second-longest winning streak in UFC history and five consecutive defending champs Coming to the fight, there is a strong demand for an immediate trilogy fight.
Edwards said he wanted the fight to take place in his native England, thinking he was unhappy with his work at UFC 278 A more complete effort could be provided.
It was a long journey for “Rocky” to reach the top After seeing Usman fall his way, he says he won’t take his glory Moments are taken for granted.
“I knew going into it probably we’re going to have a rematch,” Edwards said. “Whether it’s the next game or the next game, we’re going to have a rematch. He’s a longtime champion and they say he’s the best all week. He said he was the best. He believed, as I said in the Octagon, that the belt belongs to no one. It doesn’t belong to me or anyone. No one is destined to hold the belt for that long, and I’ve been saying all week that I feel like this is my moment. That’s what it means. All the layoffs, all the coronavirus, that’s what it was meant to be. “
For more information on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s UFC 278 Event Center.
