Kamaru Usman suffered a heartbreaking loss at UFC 278 against Leon Edwards. Coming into the fight, Usman was the champ and the no. 1 P4P fighter in the UFC. Barring the first round, Usman was dominating the fight. But a well-timed head kick from Leon ended his reign at the top of the division.
The fans have seen fighters who refuse to accept their loss. Instead of coming to terms with their shortcomings, they go into denial and deny the reality. But Usman is cut from a different cloth. Although he does engage in trash-talking with his opponents, Usman never shies away from praising them either.
Recently, the ‘Anatomy of a Fighter‘ YouTube channel released never seen before footage of the immediate aftermath of the fight. In the footage, Usman can be seen reflecting on the loss. Although he was upset, Usman did not break down; instead, he was complimentary of Leon.
“Did he land anything significant? No. Yeah, Leon is a tough dude. The thing, the reason he’s a tough guy, is because even when I break his spirit, I break his will, he is always like, the next round, he always starts with it…. He will come back even though I remind him very quickly to go back down, but he always comes back with it. That is very f****g dangerous when guys fight like that.”
Usman ended his thoughts by saying, “Good job Rocky, good job Rocky, see you soon.”
Will Harris, the man behind the video deserves a lot of credit for making the spine-chilling video. It really showed the fans why Kamaru is a great champion. Not only because of his in-cage skills but also for the way he handled the loss with class and dignity.
Kamaru Usman wants to rematch Leon Edwards in England
After the fight, UFC president Dana White revealed that Kamaru Usman should not take any time off and get back to the training immediately. He also revealed that the rematch has the potential to take place in Leon’s home country, England.
The Nigerian Nightmare also seems intrigued by the idea of going to the enemy’s den and regaining his title.
Usman is not upset about the incident at all. He is a born fighter and understands that both winning and losing are a part of the sport. Kamaru himself knocked out Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns to defend the title recently. So, he knows that losing is not the end of the road. Instead of giving up, Usman is going full force ahead.
The fight is potentially going down in early 2023. It will give Usman some time to recover and make the necessary adjustments. In a recent video, Leon’s coaches were seen identifying Usman’s tendency to lean sideways while ducking punches. They prepared Leon to take advantage of it and that is exactly what Edwards did. So Usman will have the time to improve his head movement before the trilogy fight.
Kamaru Usman has opened as a favourite ahead of the third fight against Leon Edwards. Do you think it’s fair? Or do you think pundits are once again disrespecting the British MMA fighter? Let us know in the comments below.
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