"I feinted a kick, and he didn't move" - Leon Edwards breaks down events leading up to 'the shot' that KO'd Kamaru Usman in rematch at UFC 278

Leon Edwards (left); Edwards kicks Usman [right; images courtesy of Getty and @btsportufc Twitter account]

Leon Edwards has explained what happened leading up to the stunning head kick KO in his UFC welterweight title-winning performance against Kamaru Usman. Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Edwards indicated that moments before he landed the kick that knocked Usman out, his coach called for him to throw a cross-head kick combination.

‘Rocky’ emphasized that he’d drilled the aforesaid combination on the pads many times with his coach Henry Hooft. Additionally, Leon Edwards suggested that his younger brother, Bellator MMA fighter Fabian Edwards, also kept calling for a head kick. Edwards stated:

“So, if you watch the fight, I was kind of feinting the jab, and he was kind of parrying the shots like this and going in. And I feinted a kick. I feinted a kick, and he didn’t move. You know, I thought, ‘Perfect, he’s freezing.”

Every angle of the stunning KO that made @Leon_edwardsmma a champion 🏆

Right. On. The. Money.

#UFC278 https://t.co/rB9SaTz0UD

Furthermore, Edwards pointed out that Usman has a boxing-heavy style of striking. The UK MMA stalwart insinuated that the orthodox Usman’s boxing-centric style of parrying made him vulnerable to a head kick from a southpaw opponent. Edwards said:

“I set it up with inside leg kicks and stuff like that. I knew it was coming. I thought in my head, ‘This is the shot.’ If it’s gonna land, it’s gonna land now or no. And I didn’t look for it the whole fight. I thought this is the moment. This is gonna land. I need it to land now.”

Watch Edwards discuss the topic at 11:11 in the video below:

Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards express their respect for one another after UFC 278 thriller

Their first fight witnessed Kamaru Usman defeat Leon Edwards via unanimous decision in 2015. However, their highly-anticipated rematch, which transpired at Saturday’s UFC 278 event, saw Edwards emerge victorious. ‘Rocky,’ who was losing the rematch on the judges’ scorecards, spectacularly stopped Usman with a head kick KO in the fight’s fifth and final round.

One moment.

One second.

One head kick.

That's all it took for @Leon_edwardsmma to become the new UFC Welterweight Champion! 🏆 #UFC278 https://t.co/azfrOZCCG7

With their series of fights tied and a potential trilogy matchup on the cards in 2023, both Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards took to social media to express their respect for each other. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ posted a classy tweet congratulating Edwards on his win. Usman wrote:

"Damn I love this sport!!! Things happen but… Alhamdulillah we move!! 👊🏿🌍🤴🏿 congratulations @Leon_edwardsmma"

Damn I love this sport!!! Things happen but… Alhamdulillah we move!! 👊🏿🌍🤴🏿 congratulations @Leon_edwardsmma

Leon Edwards reciprocated and acknowledged that it was an honor for him to face Kamaru Usman again. Encouraging Usman to spend time with his family, Edwards tweeted:

"Respect @Usman84kg it was an honour to run it back. Rest up and enjoy time with your family."

Respect @Usman84kg it was an honour to run it back. Rest up and enjoy time with your family.