5 things Leon Edwards must do to beat Kamaru Usman
This weekend at UFC 278, Leon Edwards will attempt to do what no welterweight in the UFC has thus far managed: defeat Kamaru Usman. In his quest for UFC gold, 'Rocky' must dethrone 'The Nigerian Nightmare'; however, the task is far stiffer than anyone can expect.
Countless others have tried and failed. Tyron Woodley crumbled under the insurmountable pressure and pace Usman imposed on him. Colby Covington twice fell before his greatest divisional rival, first having his jaw broken en route to a bloody TKO loss before losing the rematch after being dropped multiple times.
Despite firsthand knowledge of Usman's weaknesses due to their close friendship, Gilbert Burns also failed to best the reigning welterweight kingpin. And like former friend Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal also failed in his quest for championship glory. He was first defeated by unanimous decision before being on the wrong end of 2021's knockout of the year.
The headline bout at UFC 278 will be a rematch several years in the making. Both Usman and Edwards have evolved as fighters, but only one can claim victory this Saturday. While beating Usman is a tall order, this list will outline the five things that the man Usman describes as his toughest foe yet must do in order to emerge victorious.
#5. Fight from long range
Leon Edwards stands at 6 feet 2 inches, while Kamaru Usman is exactly 6 feet tall. Although 'The Nigerian Nightmare' possesses a reach of 76 inches compared to Edwards' 74, the British-Jamaican could mitigate Usman's extra two inches of reach by being two inches taller.
March 18, 2017
4 fight streak snapped against Leon Edwards in London.
Edwards had great success with the open stance body kick.
The fight was closer than I remembered, Edwards being risk-averse. https://t.co/TW8uBEkx8V
Thus, when Usman and Edwards finally lock horns, the reigning UFC welterweight champion will not enjoy the reach advantage he typically does. Furthermore, Usman's only weapon at long range is his jab, whereas Leon Edwards is a more technical jabber who also kicks well. In their initial matchup, when Usman's inability to strike with Edwards from range became apparent to the Nigerian himself, he tried to kick his foe.
However, because Edwards maintained a longer range than what Usman is used to, the Nigerian kicked ahead of himself and allowed Edwards to easily catch his kick. To find success against Usman, Leon Edwards must replicate this approach and fight from the outside to undercut Usman's jab and force Usman to kick ahead of himself while stinging him from a distance.