"There's a lot of unanswered questions, that's what makes this fight really interesting" - Josh Thomson details why Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards is such a fascinating matchup
Former UFC lightweight fighter Josh Thomson has put forth his take on the upcoming rematch between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards. In an edition of the Weighing In podcast, Thomson and former MMA referee John McCarthy suggested that Edwards could potentially be the first person to defeat Usman in the UFC.
Back in 2015, then-grappling specialist Usman beat then-striking specialist Edwards via unanimous decision in a grappling-heavy affair. Usman subsequently improved his striking skills in leaps and bounds, whereas Edwards significantly evolved in his grappling game.
Analyzing the Usman-Edwards rematch that will take place at UFC 278, Thomson alluded to the fact that Usman underwent hand surgery earlier this year. On that note, Thomson stated:
“Will Usman be the same after the hand surgery? Will his hands be as clean and crisp as we’ve seen in the last couple of fights?”
The P4P king has his next opponent set 😤
Kamaru Usman will face Leon Edwards at UFC 278 on August 20. https://t.co/sJSgOQ16NV
Thomson noted that the outstanding improvements Usman has made to his striking in recent years have likely come at the cost of him spending less time working on his wrestling. ‘The Punk’ said:
“So, how much has his wrestling suffered since then? And how much will the hand play a factor coming in? There’s a lot of unanswered questions. That’s what makes this fight really interesting to me because Leon’s gotten a lot better since their first fight and so has Usman.”
Thomson acknowledged that Kamaru Usman has secured a few impressive knockout wins as of late, but warned that he shouldn’t fall in love with his power and striking. Thomson opined that Edwards is a faster and more precise striker than Usman, who can now defend takedowns well and is indeed a legitimate threat to Usman.
Check out Thomson’s comments regarding the Usman-Edwards UFC 278 matchup at the 1:29:00-minute mark in the video below:
Kamaru Usman recently opened up about his hand injury and recovery
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is scheduled to defend his belt in a rematch against Leon Edwards at UFC 278 on August 20. Usman spoke to MMA Underground last month about the hand injury that has kept him out of action since his most recent fight that transpired in November 2021 against Colby Covington.
Kamaru Usman emphasized that he was dealing with some pain to his right hand’s tendons. He explained that he’d hurt the area on his knuckles, where there’s no blood flow and the healing process is slow. Usman said:
“If I don't give it the appropriate time to heal properly, then I'm just gonna split that right back open and I'm out for the whole year. Potentially worse, do irreparable damage to my hand to where I couldn't potentially fight again."