Josh Thomson names "MVP" of UFC 278 title fight, and it's neither Kamaru Usman nor Leon Edwards

(L-R) Josh Thomson, Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman [Image via @therealpunk on Instagram]

Josh Thomson lauded Leon Edwards' team for their excellent corner work in his fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. Edwards dethroned the Nigerian welterweight titan minutes after his corner called for the head kick that put him away.

Having a good team of reliable coaches is of vital importance for fighters. A good corner provides the right stimulus and insightful observations, helping a fighter assess the reality of their situation.

Former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson gushed over Edwards' corner for their motivation that pushed 'Rocky' to achieve greatness. Thomson spoke to John McCarthy about Edwards' excellent team on their podcast Weighing In and called them the real MVP:

''John, there is one MVP in this fight, just one - Leon Edawards' fu**ing corner. You don't have a corner like that, you got a wrong corner. We have seen too many time fighters corner say 'it's close but I think we got it'. Or 'you won that round and it was close'. No, you lost that round.''

Some coaches are cool and calm, some offer detailed technical advice...

@Leon_edwardsmma needed a kick in the backside, and he got it 😳

Job well done in the blue corner 👏

🎥 #UFC278 Corner Cam https://t.co/gjh5rrWHq2

Leon Edwards snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a minute left on the clock. He became only the second British fighter, alongside Michael Bisping, to win the coveted UFC gold.

Watch Josh Thomson talk about Leon Edwards' corner at 3:45 in the video below:

Jon Anik extols Dave Lovell's pep-talk that pushed Leon Edwards to knockout Kamaru Usman at UFC 278

Leon Edwards had difficulty getting into the groove and letting his attacks go at UFC 278, which he later suspected was due to Salt Lake City's high altitude. He was clearly losing the fight, but his coaching team, led by Dave Lovell, pushed 'Rocky' to chase the finish.

'The Nigerian Nightmare' was well on his way to making the sixth successful defense of his welterweight title but succumbed to a horrific knockout loss in the final minute. Usman would have tied former UFC middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva for the longest win streak in UFC history.

Edwards scripted one of the greatest comebacks in UFC title fight history and lived up to his nickname of 'Rocky'. Going into the fifth round, Edwards' corner was sure he was down by three rounds. They motivated their fighter to overturn the deficit, and in the final minute of the fight, Edwards pulled off a staggering head kick that stunned Usman.

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Impressed by Dave Lovell's excellent corner work, Jon Anik reckoned that he should call him before his big workout:

''Dave Lovell…perhaps I should call you before my next workout you f*cking legend! Courtesy of @SeeUSoonBoyy , here is some of Leon Edwards’ corner advice before the headkick KO w/ Rocky music edit: @Leon_edwardsmma''

Dave Lovell…perhaps I should call you before my next workout you f*cking legend!

Courtesy of @SeeUSoonBoyy, here is some of Leon Edwards’ corner advice before the headkick KO w/ Rocky music edit:

https://t.co/2mMVOxPjXS

@Leon_edwardsmma