Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards: UFC veteran 'Wonderboy' Thompson accurately predicted what would lead to the KO
Kamaru Usman was knocked out clean by Leon Edwards in their second outing at UFC 278 last year, and it looks like Stephen Thompson saw it coming from a mile away.
While 'The Nigerian Nightmare' outclassed the Englishman with his grappling skills for the majority of the bout, Edwards timed a brutal head-kick in the final minute of the fight and captured the welterweight title via knockout.
In a recently posted video by @pricepicks on Instagram, Stephen Thompson can be seen breaking down the second bout between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington at UFC 268. During one of their exchanges during the contest, 'Wonderboy' made an interesting observation about Usman's head movement.
He noticed Usman’s tendency to tilt his head sideways while trying to avoid Covington’s striking. Thompson then accurately predicted that Leon Edwards would capitalize on this habit if Usman continued doing so:
"The way Usman evades it is, he ducks into it. I don’t know if he’s doing that on purpose. See how he just ducks his head. Look how he ducks his head. If you do that against Edwards man, he’s gonna put you to sleep."
Watch the video below:
Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards are set to face each other for their trilogy fight at UFC 286 on March 18 in London. The Nigerian-American will look to reclaim his welterweight strap and end Edwards' 10-fight win streak.
Usman beat Edwards in their first encounter back in 2015 via unanimous decision.
Gilbert Burns gives his prediction for Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards 3
Kamaru Usman will go into his trilogy fight against Leon Edwards as a massive betting favorite. In their last fight at UFC 278, he dominated the entirety of the fight before 'Rocky' landed a stunning head kick towards the end of the fifth round.
However, Gilbert Burns disagrees with the consensus. As the two top welterweights prepare to go head-to-head for the third time, 'Durinho' puts his faith in the Englishman and believes Leon Edwards will benefit from the home advantage.
In an interview with ESPN MMA's Carlos Contreras Legaspi earlier this year, Burns was asked about his prediction for the main event of the London card. He stated:
"I think Leon's going to win this fight. The first fight was very good... But now it's different, now he's at home. London. No altitude there. I think his team did a great job in the fourth round going into the fifth round and I think they're going to do a great job again. I do believe Leon's going to remain the champion."
Watch the full video below: