Leon Edwards Dethrones Kamaru Usman

The rematch between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman ended with Leon Edwards knocking out the defending champion to be crowned the new king of the welterweight division. The event took place at 10:00 PM ET on August 20, 2022, in the Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

The main event and the co-main event were the main attractions on the card. It was an eventful evening where MMA fans witnessed the return of Luke Rockhold in the co-main event after a long gap of three years.

However, the title fight between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman was the main show-stealer in the UFC 278 card.

Leon Edwards Vs Kamaru Usman – Main Event

MMA fight fans finally got what they were asking for as both Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman made weight to finally face each other for the second time in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Vivint Arena is a venue that boasts one of the most intimate crowds in the world. It was an arena fit to host the fight for the UFC Welterweight title.

The first round witnessed a slow and calculated start to the fight, as both fighters made a feel of each other through a couple of leg kicks. As the minutes dragged, Leon Edwards gained momentum and dominated Kamaru Usman with combinations of punches and leg kicks.

On the other hand, the defending champion, Usman, looked way off the pace as he struggled to get into the flow of the bout. Usman tried to pin Edwards on the ground so that he could dominate the fight using his unmatched grappling skills.

However, this was not the Leon Edwards he had faced in their first fight. Since their last fight, Leon Edwards has immensely improved his wrestling and grappling abilities. He went to train with some of the best wrestling coaches in the world.

Leon Edwards clearly came out as the better fighter in the first round, with Usman looking to have built no rhythm.

The second round saw a similar sort of fight, with Leon Edwards clearly dominating the defending champion. It looked like Kamaru was trying to get into the fight, but Leon Edwards did not give him enough time to rethink his strategy.

However, Kamaru Usman showed why he was the defending champion in the Welterweight division. He took over the fight with his superior wrestling and slung heavy boxing combinations in the third round. He totally dominated the third round and came out the victor.

The fourth round also went to Kamaru Usman as he continued the momentum he had gained in the third round. Leon Edwards looked like he was going to have a long night getting dominated on the ground and being pounded by Usman, who was on a 19-fight winning streak.

The performance by Usman was a professional one as he managed the time and tactics to his advantage. It looked like Usman would retain the title if the fight continued in the same manner.

In the fifth and final round, Leon Edwards had to come up with something spectacular to change the tide in his favor. It started the same way the third and fourth rounds ended, with Usman taking his time to dominate Edwards on the ground.

Just when things were looking positive for Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards came up with a shocking left kick on Usman’s right jaw, knocking him out cold in the process. Edwards suddenly flicked out a right jab and fired up a left head kick that sent Usman to dreamland.

With this fight, Leon Edwards became the first Jamaican-born fighter to be crowned the champion in the UFC.

Paulo Costa Vs Luke Rockhold – Co-Main Event

The co-main event between Paulo Costa and Luke Rockhold bagged the Performance of The Night award and was one of the best fights on the UFC 278 card. Luke Rockhold returned to the UFC after being out for a long time since 2019 and gave the fans a fight to remember.

His opponent, Paulo Costa, is currently one of the best fighters in the middleweight division. This fight was bound to be a treat to all fight fans from around the globe.

Luke Rockhold started the first round strongly with some heavy kicks and punches on Paulo Costa. As the round went on, Costa got into the flow of the fight and gained the upper hand.

After the end of the first round, it looked like Luke Rockhold had gassed out as he was seen holding his head and taking deep breaths in his corner while being by his team. Costa came out aggressively in the second half and caught Rockhold with a few combinations.

Though he got hit with a few punches, Luke Rockhold was the one whose punches had more impact when he landed them. He caught Costa a few times and rocked him. However, Rockhold was not able to knock him out.

In the end, Paulo Costa was adjudged the winner via the judges’ decision. However, this match was more about the return of Luke Rockhold to the UFC after a long gap. He burst out in tears after the fight as he spoke to Joe Rogan for a couple of minutes.

This match was perhaps the last fight for Luke Rockhold, looking at how he reacted after it was over. However, he will always be remembered as one of the greatest middleweight champions in the UFC era.

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