When Leon Edwards almost completely blocked a head kick from Donald Cerrone despite having his glove pulled
Before he was fighting for titles, Leon Edwards was facing the likes of Donald Cerrone, who became one of many names on the Englishman's legendary win streak.
During the pair's bout at UFC Fight Night 132 - Cerrone vs. Edwards in June 2018, a down-on-the-cards 'Cowboy' hooked his fingers into Edwards' glove, yanking on it before throwing a head kick. The glove-grabbing was illegal, but fortunately for Edwards, he was slick and quick enough to block Cerrone's head kick with his free hand.
After doing so, 'Rocky' complained to the referee about the incident, but not much came of it. 'Cowboy' went on to lose the fight via lopsided unanimous decision after five rounds.
Check out Leon Edwards blocking Donald Cerrone's illegal head kick in the clip below:
The two men never crossed paths again inside the octagon. While Edwards has since gone on to capture the UFC welterweight championship, Cerrone retired from MMA after finding himself on a crushing seven-fight winless streak, starting just three fights after his loss to 'Rocky.'
However, the most famous head kick-related moment of Edwards' career is his knockout win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. The pair faced each other in a rematch several years in the making. Despite being well-prepared, and becoming the first fighter to take Usman down, things soon took a turn for the worst.
After his success in the opening round, Edwards gradually succumbed to the high-altitude demands of Salt Lake City and began to tire. By round five, he was down on the scorecards and found himself unable to fend off Usman's takedowns. But with just 56 seconds to spare, he landed the greatest strike of his career.
Edwards faked a right to dupe Usman into slipping on the inside, causing him to lean into the path of a rising left head kick that knocked him out cold.
Leon Edwards' cage-grabbing in the Kamaru Usman trilogy bout
At UFC 286 back in March, Leon Edwards took on Kamaru Usman in the pair's trilogy. It was the Englishman's first defense of his welterweight title, and while the bout was competitive, Edwards was the convincing winner, earning a majority decision from the judges. However, he cost himself a point with a fence grab.
Check out Leon Edwards' fence grab in round three against Kamaru Usman in the clip below:
The fence grab, which was blatant, prevented Usman from securing a takedown, causing the referee to deduct a point from Edwards. Nevertheless, 'Rocky's' efforts were widely praised, as he fared far better against Usman's wrestling than in the pair's first two meetings.