/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71266714/1416164969.0.jpg "Kamaru Usman Defeated By Edwards At UFC 278")
With a devastating knockout victory against Kamaru Usman to claim the title of new world welterweight champion, Leon Edwards has shocked the UFC community.
Usman had dominated the battle for the bulk of it, and Edwards was just seconds away from losing.
With just over a minute left, Edwards delivered a vicious left kick that planted on Usman’s jaw and instantly put him out of commission.
As referee Herd Dean struck in to stop the bout, Usman collapsed and slumped backward onto the canvas.
The preceding 30 seconds had been spent by UFC broadcasters Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier discussing how Edwards appeared to accept defeat when he launched.
Usman was drawn in by a left hand from Edwards, which caused him to drop his hands and expose his head as the left kick crashed in.
Rogan referred to it as “the greatest head kick knockout in the history of the sport.”
The victory for Edwards extends his winning record to 11 matches and earns him the first UFC champion of Jamaican descent.
Usman’s 19-fight winning streak is also broken, and he will no longer be considered the top fighter in the UFC in terms of strength-to-weight ratio.
Usman was knocked down for the first time in his UFC career in the opening round, but he got back up and dominated the remaining four rounds.
Edwards had the advantage, but he refused to give up. With one kick, he turned the game and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Cormier exclaimed, “Oh my goodness.”
“The way he retrieved that from the flames. In fact, he managed to snatch triumph from the jaws of defeat. I’m in awe. The world was just shaken by Leon Edwards.
Usman was rushed to the hospital after the shocking loss on Sunday, Leon Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman in Salt Lake City to become the second British champion in UFC history.
