Watch: Fan camera angle of Leon Edwards landing head kick on Kamaru Usman as Salt Lake City crowd goes wild
A fan camera angle of Leon Edwards knocking out Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 has surfaced on social media. The clip shows Vivint Arena going wild as 'Rocky' puts the former champion to sleep with a vicious head kick in the final minute of the bout.
Watch the clip below:
the KO live was wild !! 😮
#UFC278
https://t.co/12dHOemcbL
Leon Edwards was a huge underdog going into his rematch against Kamaru Usman in the main event at UFC 278. Fans of Edwards had their hopes raised as the Englishman landed a takedown on Usman in the first round, becoming the only fighter to do so.
However, the tide soon turned with Usman gaining momentum in round 2 and clearly outgrappling 'Rocky'. Despite excellent cornerwork from his coaches, Edwards failed to find the spark again as 'The Nigerian Nightmare' grew more comfortable with his signature wrestling-heavy approach.
The result appeared to be a foregone conclusion as a visibly dejected Edwards made his way back to his corner at the end of round 4. However, 'Rocky' defied all odds, putting Usman to sleep with hardly a minute left before the closing bell.
Watch the highlight-reel KO from another angle below:
Leon Edwards knocking out one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC https://t.co/cK6TDxRjF5
Leon Edwards did not consider Kamaru Usman as the pound-for-pound king going into UFC 278
After winning the title from Tyron Woodley back in 2019, Kamaru Usman dominated the UFC welterweight division until his loss to Leon Edwards on Saturday night. Going into UFC 278, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was undefeated in the UFC with his last loss dating back to 2013 in his sophomore professional outing.
Usman's dominance atop the welterweight division also saw him rise to the status of pound-for-pound king in the UFC rankings. However, Leon Edwards did not regard his opponent at the pound-for-pound best going into UFC 278.
According to 'Rocky', the pound-for-pound No.1 needs to have more tools in his arsenal than just boxing and wrestling. The Birmingham native also hailed himself as a true mixed martial artist. Edwards said at the UFC 278 post-fight presser:
“Like I said, I didn’t build him to be this pound-for-pound GOAT everyone says he is. I’ve said it all week, I don’t believe that he’s the pound-for-pound yet. You have to be better than just wrestling and boxing, you know? And I’m a mixed martial artist, I can do it all.”
Watch Edwards' appearance at the post-fight scrum below: