Leon Edwards retained his welterweight title by winning a majority decision over Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 on Saturday in London.
AND STILL!!! LEON SILENCES THE DOUBTERS!!!! #UFC286 pic.twitter.com/kPEEGQChss
— UFC (@ufc) March 19, 2023
It was the third chapter in a rivalry that took an unexpected turn last summer when Edwards suffered a violent knockout. to Usman, with 56 seconds left in the final round. Usman had largely led Edwards in 2015, en route to easy unanimous decision success.
Spider-Man! 🕸️
Tom Holland caught up with @Leon_EdwardsMMA backstage. #UFC286 pic.twitter.com/3vwhjrFvqF
— UFC (@ufc) March 19, 2023
“I dodged his leads, blocked his kicks and my shots were sharper. I knew it was tight but I kept the pressure on him,” Edwards said.
Former interim champion Covington, who lost to Usman in 2019 and 2021, dismissed both fighters as “idiots” and said he would be willing to step into the cage at a moment’s notice – but Edwards seemed bemused and said he would decide his next defence after a deserved win when his only moment of concern was a one-point deduction for holding the cage.
https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1637245274216120322
“I thought I had done enough but I knew it was close,” Usman said of his side. “He had a great game plan. I’m not finished, we’ll meet again. But I must say that London, you have quite a champion. »
We felt Usman almost frozen and very slow in the first two rounds, and he took a big knee on the second assault with a good left hook. Usman had a bit of a boost, but Edwards remained more precise and calculating.
As the changing of the guard is completed, @Usman84kg pays his respects to Leon Edwards 👏 #UFC286 pic.twitter.com/3BBZLCT6Hf
— UFC (@ufc) March 19, 2023
Usman landed a highly technical third-round takedown in the first minute, but Edwards got up easily with the help of the fence, losing him a crucial point in a round dominated by the ex-champ . The rhythm of the fight was more than once broken this evening due to warnings against Edwards for blows below the belt and for grabbing his opponent’s gloves.
2️⃣5️⃣ minutes in the books!
Drop those scorecards NOW 📝 #UFC286 pic.twitter.com/zPXEkDIpEC
— UFC (@ufc) March 19, 2023
In the fourth, Usman got hot when he lost his balance throwing a kick that Edwards tried to block. Edwards was more accurate overall and he excelled at defending the leads. On the fifth onslaught, he continued to throw good high kicks to keep Usman at bay.
THIS SHIT IS PERSONAL 🔥 #UFC286 pic.twitter.com/hPD7onEiIp
— UFC (@ufc) March 18, 2023