For the first time since 2013, Kamaru Usman is dealing with a loss after he suffered a stunning fifth-round knockout courtesy of Leon Edwards in the UFC 278 main event.
The shocking result came after Edwards uncorked a head kick that blasted Usman and sent him crashing to the canvas with less than a minute remaining in the fight. Usman was out as he hit the ground while Edwards celebrated the monumental victory as he became UFC welterweight champion.
Following the fight, Usman released his first statement on social media after he was taken to a local hospital for precautionary reasons after the brutal knockout ended his title reign.
“Champs f*** up sometimes,” Usman wrote. “But we bounce back and come with vengeance!!”
After a rough start that saw Edwards take his back in the opening round, Usman took over with a suffocating attack as he landed multiple takedowns and never gave his British opponent a moment to breathe.
Just when it looked like Edwards was running out of gas, he launched the head kick heard round the world as Usman suffered defeat for only the second time in his entire career.
Following his initial statement, Usman returned to Twitter to offer his congratulations to Edwards on a job well done.
Usman holds a unanimous decision win over Edwards from their first meeting in 2015 and now “Rocky” has pulled off the upset in the rematch. White mentioned that he would love to take the third fight to Edwards’ home country of England, although it’s obviously premature to make any plans for the trilogy just yet.
