After a legendary battle at UFC 278, the former champion Kamaru Usman has responded to the historic upset by Leon Edwards. Making it clear that he will be back, and he’s coming for vengeance.
The battle was indeed of epic proportions. In a blur of fantasy and reality, Edwards landed a perfectly timed trip on Usman in the first round to solidify a takedown. It almost didn’t seem real, as the former champion had been such an unstoppable grappling force for so long. Yet, it was real. ‘Rocky’ even ended up taking the back of his Nigerian adversary, threatening a rear naked choke until the first round ended.
After the first, things looked pretty dominant for Kamaru Usman, who utilized his piston-like jab and skilled footwork to crowd ‘Rocky’ against the cage, from where he would unleash with nasty hooks and uppercuts, looking to put his foe away.
All props to Leon Edwards though, as he hung tough, weathering the abuse. The rounds passed and the story of the night was of how dejected Edwards was beginning to look. As if he had given it his all and realized it wouldn’t be enough. And then, in one of the greatest instances of corner advice we may have seen: one of Edwards’ corner men completely changed the game.
It was like something out of a movie. In between the fourth and fifth round, the corner man screamed at Edwards to stop feeling sorry for himself. Imploring the fighter to feel that fire that had fueled him on his journey to the current moment. And, in an incredible movie-like moment, that last and final round would be the round where Edwards would land the kick that changed his life, and career, forever.
Kamaru Usman responds to Leon Edwards’ historic upset
So there it was. An epic journey by both men that still hasn’t concluded. No matter how legendary the finish by Edwards is, it still won’t go down as the finishing blow to their rivalry. Kamaru Usman would also attest to that, as he took to Twitter to release a few statements about his defeat.
“Champs f$ck up sometimes…” Usman began. “But we bounce back and come with vengeance!! #NGHTMR.” In a later tweet, he addressed the insanity of the finish and how truly unpredictable the sport of MMA is. “Damn I love this sport!!!” Usman continued. “Things happen but… Alhamdulillah we move!! Congratulations @Leon_edwardsmma.”
The loss at UFC 278 was the first ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has experienced since 2013. The former champion has left a trail of violence behind, and truly earned the reputation of being one of the greatest to ever do it. Struggles make champions, and surely this is just another chapter in Kamaru Usman’s and Leon Edwards’ story. But, who will ultimately go down as the winner of this legendary trilogy? That’s something we’ll just have to wait and see.
Who wins the trilogy fight between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards?