Leon Edwards faced Kamaru Usman in a title rematch in the main event of UFC 286. ‘Rocky’ was looking to make his first welterweight title defense in front of his home fans at the O2 arena. from London on Saturday.
While the two fighters mostly squared off in the opening frame, Edwards likely finished the round with an emphatic kick. ‘Rocky’ also received a stern warning from referee Herb Dean for grabbing Usman’s glove.
Edwards landed a huge knee in the second round after an early break in action due to an unintentional low kick from the champ. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ bounced back with a flush right hand followed by his first takedown of the fight.
Leon Edwards wasted a point for a blatant closing catch in the third round before landing his third (fourth?) unintentional low kick of the night. The two fighters squared off for the remainder of the round, with Usman likely finishing the round due to “Rocky’s” point deduction.
Edwards’ display of excellent takedown defense continued into the championship rounds as his jab began to find its mark more often. While ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ eventually managed to score a last-round takedown, he couldn’t hold off the champion for long.
Leon Edwards successfully defended his title for the first time with a majority decision victory (48-46, 48-46, 47-47) over Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC 286.
Colby Covington was present for Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman 3
Colby Covington, who was present at the edge of the cage, called Edwards for the next shot at the welterweight title. “Rocky” accused “Chaos” of long dodging it, but expressed interest in a “little trip to Miami.”
‘Rocky’ is now undefeated in 12 consecutive matches, his last loss dating back to his first clash against Usman in 2015. Meanwhile, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has dropped back-to-back title fights against Edwards after riding a streak of fifteen consecutive wins.
Usman was gracious in his loss, paying his sincere respects to UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
