"People were on fire" - Herb Dean describes crowd reaction when Leon Edwards KO'd Kamaru Usman at UFC 278
UFC referee Herb Dean recently opened up about the shocking moment when Leon Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman to win the welterweight title at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In an interview with Helen Yee at his Fight Academy in Pasadena, Dean spoke about the fight which went till the final round before the Brit stunned the world with a devastating head-kick knockout of 'The Nigerian Nightmare'. He said:
"Oh, people were on fire. Everyone was not shocked that Leon got the win, just shocked over the spectacular fashion in which it happened. So, people were talking about it all night."
Dean also stated that Usman was on another level which he hadn't seen earlier, but a "classic combination" from Edwards was enough for a huge result in the organization's history. He added that in MMA, a moment's lapse in concentration is all it takes to get your lights shut off.
This is a huge moment
The irony that John Anik says Herb Dean has done a good job of not making the fight about himself and then he breaks them up
#UFC278 #UsmanEdwards2 https://t.co/gbxguiW16u
'Rocky' was also the first man to take down Usman in the first round, but the 35-year-old hit back in the next three rounds, making the most of his impressive grappling game. However, with only a few minutes left, Edwards feigned a jab, before delivering a thunderous kick straight to Usman's head, sending him down on the mat for the win.
Watch Herb Dean talk about the UFC 278 main-event below:
Henry Cejudo questions Herb Dean's decision to separate Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards moments before spectacular KO
Henry Cejudo believes that Dean's call to separate the pair worked in Edwards' favour, who went on to end the fight moments later with a heavy kick to Usman's head.
On The Triple C & Schmo Show, the former double champ added that the decision by referee Herb Dean may have had a big impact on the fight. He said:
"If you really think about what happened in the fifth, how Herb Dean pretty much put them back on the feet, that's what changed everything. If you really think about it, I mean, was that really necessary?"
Watch Henry Cejudo's full comments below:
Edwards, who was on the backfoot until the final round, was given valuable time to recoup from a defensive position. While this could have been pivotal, the Brit was still under immense pressure to execute a plan out of nowhere, which he did perfectly to win his first major title in the UFC.