Leon Edwards stuns Kamaru Usman, wrests UFC welterweight title following last-minute head kick

UFC welterweight Leon Edwards recently shocked the world by overcoming the challenge presented by Kamaru Usman in the dying minutes of the final frame of their clash at UFC 278. With his latest victory against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’, Edwards laid claim to the welterweight title.

Edwards, who was clearly 3-1 on the cards, after a dip in form following a strong first round, required a finish to walk away with the welterweight title; and that’s exactly what happened as Edwards landed an extremely clean head kick to knock out the consensus pound-for-pound No. 1 mixed martial artist in the world.

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It is interesting to note that Edwards hadn’t recorded a finish in over four years; however, he dug deep to pull out an absolutely shocking finish with under a minute left in the final round of their clash. 

The headliner at UFC 278 marked their rematch from way back in 2015 at UFC on FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs Cowboy 2 in Florida, where Usman dominated the proceedings on the ground and the standup before eventually walking away with a unanimous decision win. 

In addition to cementing himself at the top of the 170 lbs division, Edwards brought Usman’s dominant run in the division to an end, during which he recorded five successful defences.

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Usman’s latest loss also shattered his uber-impressive 15-fight winning streak. He also etched his name in MMA folklore as the first fighter to successfully take Kamaru Usman down inside the octagon, breaking his perfect record of a 100% takedown defense.

Edwards’ impressive performance against Usman earned him one of the two Performance of the Night Bonuses worth $50,000 as he walked out of the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City with the welterweight strap draped over his shoulder.