His boxing pedigree betrayed him - Teddy Atlas explains how Kamaru Usman and Trevor Wittman's focus on boxing became their downfall at UFC 278
Kamaru Usman lost his welterweight title at UFC 278 after Leon Edwards caught him in the last minute of their fight with a nasty head kick knockout. According to legendary boxing analyst Teddy Atlas, that attack only worked because Usman has been spending too much time on his boxing.
Edwards' cross-head kick connected because he hid it behind a jab that caused Usman to slip his head sideways, leaving it wide open for the kick to land. In a new episode of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, Atlas said:
"I thought his boxing pedigree or teaching, and he's gotten good teaching and he's improved tremendously his striking, he has, Usman. But I thought it hurt him. It betrayed him. It ambushed him."
@Leon_edwardsmma Very happy for Edwards who is as solid a human being as he is as a technician. We’ve had him on @TheFightWTA podcast, couldn’t happen to a nicer more decent person. #UFC278 👏 @Leon_edwardsmma
That interview here on YouTube: youtu.be/d2ePEo0Stx4
"When that throwaway left hand came at him, he slipped his head to the right to get away from it, the way you would in boxing. But he forgot this ain't boxing, this is MMA. This is UFC specifically. And there are kicks to worry about. And he moved his head to get away from what he thought was a punch, and it was a throwaway punch, and forgot about the kick. So his boxing and concentration on boxing and his level of learning boxing to the level he has actually hurt him."
Watch Teddy Atlas discuss Kamaru Usman's loss to Leon Edwards below:
Fighters spend countless hours drilling their head movement and strikes until they become second nature. And while all that time drilling boxing movement may have improved Usman's offensive striking, it also may have instilled some bad habits in his MMA form that were exploitable in the octagon.
Leon Edwards discusses the headkick that knocked out Kamaru Usman
Following his massive come-from-behind victory over Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards gave some insight into the kick he used to win his title. At the UFC 278 post-fight press conference, he said:
“That combination, I was drilling with my coaches, with Henry [Hooft] and our coaches, that cross-head kick. And it landed perfectly. He's got a very boxing oriented style, it's that parry and jab, slip and jab. So I thought if I went same punch, same kick, it would land. I did it in the Belal [Muhammad] fight but it ended in an eyepoke!"
Fortunately for Edwards, the combination worked much better against Usman. While 'Rocky' now holds the welterweight title, he'll have to beat Usman again if he wants to keep it. The UFC is already looking to set up a third fight between the two for early 2023.