"I was getting worried" - Leon Edwards believes rematch against Kamaru Usman could have had a very different outcome if not for 'body shutting down'

Leon Edwards (left) and Kamaru Usman (right) [Image via Getty]

Leon Edwards shocked the world by landing a come-from-behind head kick knockout on Kamaru Usman in their UFC 278 fight. However, Edwards believes if the match wasn't held in Salt Lake City, he wouldn't have needed that last-minute miracle to win.

Salt Lake City is 4000 feet above sea level, and many fighters on the UFC 278 card suffered serious cardio issues due to the thinner air. In a new interview with The MMA Hour, new welterweight champion Leon Edwards described how the atmosphere hurt his performance after a dominant first round:

"After the first round, my body just - I can't explain it, my body just shut down. It's just a weird feeling. It wasn't cardio, it was more my body just wasn't reacting. In my head I could think what I wanted to do, but my body just wasn't doing it. In the 10 fights I had to get to this point to fight for the championship, I never looked like that in a fight. Ever."

the KO live was wild !! 😮

#UFC278

https://t.co/12dHOemcbL

"If my body was reacting the way it was in the first round, the fight would have went a totally different way. The first round my body felt normal. Then after that my body just shut down on me. If my body felt like it did in the first round, it'd be a totally different fight... I was getting worried for sure, 100%."

Watch Leon Edwards discuss his win over Kamaru Usman below:

Kamaru Usman is looking for "vengeance" against Leon Edwards

Considering how long Kamaru Usman has been the UFC welterweight champion and the way in which Leon Edwards beat him, there's little doubt a third fight between the two will be set up.

Usman is already looking forward to it. In the first social media post since his loss, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' wrote:

“Champs f*** up sometimes… but we bounce back and come with vengeance!”

Champs f$ck up sometimes… but we bounce back and come with vengeance!! 👊🏿🌍🤴🏿 #NGHTMR

Dana White confirmed at the UFC 278 post-fight press conference that Usman and Edwards would fight again, most likely in England. He said:

"How do you not do [the trilogy]. F***, Wembley [Stadium]. We could go to England – we were selling out England before. Now you look at, do you do a bigger arena? I’m scared to go outside, and I’m definitely scared to go outside in England... First of all, we’d have to have the date. We’re all booked up all the way to – I think we’re booked up into January now."

The UK would be nice, and Wembley Stadium would be even better. So long as the bout isn't in Salt Lake City or another high altitude city, Leon Edwards should feel confident in his ability to beat Kamaru Usman again.