Tag: UFC 278

Leon Edwards ‘made a point’ to win UFC title staying in U.K.: ‘This has never been done before’

Leon Edwards knows Michael Bisping was the first Brit to become UFC champ, but there’s an important distinction.

With his dramatic knockout of Kamaru Usman this past Saturday at UFC 278, [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] claimed the welterweight title and in turn became just the second British fighter to win a UFC championship.

Yes, Michael Bisping did it first when he upset then-middleweight champion Luke Rockhold back in 2016, but there’s a key difference. By the time Bisping knocked out Rockhold at UFC 199, he’d already been living – and training – in Southern California for several years. Edwards, on the other hand, has remained in the U.K. his entire career and trains out of Team Renegade in Birmingham, England.

With all eyes on him during the UFC 278 post-fight news conference, that distinction was important for Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) to mention unprompted.

“This has never been done before, to have a guy from Birmingham in the U.K., did it from the U.K,” Edwards told reporters at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. “I know Bisping did it first, but he did it from living in America. So it was hard for people like me to relate, to say, ‘Look, we can do it, as well.'”

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Edwards was born into poverty in Jamaica, something he was vocal about during his octagon interview with Joe Rogan after he finished Usman. Edwards and his family immigrated to the U.K. when he was a child.

As Edwards put it, his mother enrolled him in an MMA gym to keep him out of trouble when he was 17. As his UFC career ascended, Edwards certainly could’ve decided to leave Birmingham to train elsewhere, but he never had any interest.

“I made a point to stay in the U.K. to achieve this, to show the other guys coming under me that, look, if you believe in your country, if you believe in your team, you can achieve it,” Edwards said. “And that’s what I did. I went out there, and I achieved it from a little, small gym in Birmingham. It’s a crazy story.”

One of a kind.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Kamaru Usman says trilogy with Leon Edwards ‘absolutely what’s gonna happen next,’ feening for it in England

Kamaru Usman says a third fight with Leon Edwards has to happen – and he welcomes doing it across the pond.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] is ready to visit [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]’ home turf to get his belt back.

After a 15-0 UFC start and five title defenses as welterweight champion, Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) was dethroned by Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in dramatic fashion this past Saturday at UFC 278.

Both Edwards and UFC president Dana White agree that a trilogy is next, and White contemplated the idea of hosting it at Wembley Stadium in London. Naturally, Edwards is in.

And so is Usman.

“What else makes sense? I mean, look at the division,” Usman told TMZ. “No, it’s absolutely what’s gonna happen next. I’ve talked to Dana (White), and we’re gonna see. I’ll let him do his job, and we’re gonna see what date makes sense. It’s gonna be top of next year. I was gonna try and squeeze one in this year, but it’ll probably be the top of next year, and I want to go to England.

“I’ve been feening to go to England. I feel like England is my second home now, and England is half Africa. People don’t know that, but it’s half Africa, so it’s time to go over there and entertain my English people, and what better story? You couldn’t write this any better. So I’m excited to see what’s next, and we will definitely figure something out.”

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Usman was up 3-1 on all three judges’ scorecards before a stunning left head kick knocked him out cold with 56 seconds left in the fight.

“It was a great shot,” Usman said. “A great shot. I’m talking Hail Mary in the Super Bowl, last 10 seconds, that was a great shot. Hats off to Leon. …

“It’s not hard at all. You know how many people I’ve done that to? It’s not hard at all. It happened. That’s the beautiful thing about this sport, is that happens, but we forget what was actually taking place in that fight, so I’m not down at all.”

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Rashad Evans: Watching Leon Edwards’ UFC 278 knockout next to Kamaru Usman’s family was ‘very traumatic’

Rashad Evans said he felt sick after hearing Kamaru Usman’s daughter scream when Leon Edwards knocked him out cold.

[autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] goes back a while with [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], to the days of mentoring him while with the Blackzilians in South Florida. Because of this, watching Leon Edwards knock Usman out cold at UFC 278 was hard to stomach.

And it was made even worse by the fact that the UFC Hall of Famer witnessed the shocking outcome while sitting next to Usman’s family in the front row at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

Less than 48 hours later, Evans opened up about the “very traumatic” experience Monday on “Morning Kombat.”

“Just being there was unbelievable, because I’m sitting right next to his family, and his daughter’s right next to me,” Evans said. “When that whole thing happens, you just hear this scream, and it was just kind of very traumatic. For me, being like a brother to Kamaru, just watching him go down like that, it just made me real sick.”

The real-time reaction from Evans, along with a host of UFC fighters sitting on the floor, was caught on camera. The video encapsulated the disbelief of Edwards, who was down 39-37 on all three judges’ scorecards, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat by landing a vicious head kick with 56 seconds left in the fifth round to win the UFC welterweight title.

Evans believed Usman would win at UFC 278, but he also couldn’t ignore what he felt.

“I didn’t think he was gonna lose, but sometimes you have – like when your friend or your family is fighting – you have an uneasy feeling,” Evans said. “And I had an uneasy feeling that I couldn’t shake. When that kick happened, those worst feelings, those worst things, those worst thoughts were just realized in an instant. It was devastating.”

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The loss was Usman’s first in 16 UFC appearances and only the second of his career. Not since his second professional fight in May 2013 had Usman tasted defeat.

Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) didn’t speak with reporters after UFC 278 as he was transported to a local hospital. Except for a few social media posts, he hasn’t been heard from as of this writing.

Evans traveled back to Florida with Usman on a private jet Sunday and came away from their conversation feeling good about the now-former champ moving forward.

“I asked how he was doing. He said, ‘You know, I feel very blessed.’ And it was something that kind of took me by surprise, because I didn’t expect those words to come out of his mouth,” Evans said. “But he said, ‘I feel very blessed, because it didn’t go my way last night, and it was a very f*cked up thing that happened.’ He said, ‘But I’m glad. And I feel blessed that I get an opportunity to show everyone once again how great I am.’ And he said, ‘I’ll get to show my daughter what it means to fall down and have everything not go your way but then get up and still keep on going.’

“When he said that to me, it gave me chills, because that’s a perspective that you take once you have accepted it. … I feel like he has planted the seeds for a big return.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Marcin Tybura still high on Alexandr Romanov’s ceiling: ‘I think his hype is still there’

Despite taking his undefeated record, UFC veteran Marcin Tybura still sees plenty of potential in Alexandr Romanov.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag] might’ve taken away Alexandr Romanov’s undefeated record, but the he’s is still high on his opponent’s ceiling.

The heavyweight handed Romanov (16-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) his first professional defeat at Saturday’s UFC 278. Tybura (23-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) outlasted Romanov to win a majority decision on the scorecards.

Tybura thinks Romanov is still on the rise despite the setback.

“That wasn’t something I was seeking – to get his first loss,” Tybura told reporters at the UFC 278 post-fight news conference. “I think he’s a tough opponent, and I think his hype is still there. I think he’s still getting to the top, and I’m also getting to the top. So we just clashed a little bit sooner than we’re supposed to. He’s still there.”

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This win put Tybura back in the win column. He was coming off a loss to top contender Alexander Volkov in October 2021. Tybura, who was scheduled to return earlier this year, but had to withdraw from his bout due to illness, is hoping to get a quick return and make up for lost time.

“The last fight it wasn’t so lucky for me, I got pulled off short notice, and I was more humble for this one and tried to focus on what to do,” Tybura said. “I didn’t think about it or search for names. We’ll start moving on, but I don’t have anyone or a date. (I want to be back) as soon as possible, I guess.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Aori Qileng says he was prepared for everything in brawl with Jay Perrin at UFC 278

Take a look inside Aori Qileng’s unanimous decision win over Jay Perrin on Saturday at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Aori Qileng[/autotag] beat Jay Perrin with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City.

Take a look inside the fight with Qileng, who won for the second straight time after starting his UFC tenure 0-2 in 2021.

Paulo Costa: Luke Rockhold’s blood smearing at UFC 278 was a ‘very disgusting’ and ‘weird moment’

Paulo Costa reacts to Luke Rockhold smearing blood all over him at UFC 278.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] didn’t appreciate [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] smearing blood all over his face to end their wild fight this past Saturday.

The former middleweight title challenger left UFC 278 a bloody mess, but it wasn’t his own blood. In the final seconds of the co-main event in Salt Lake City, Rockhold (16-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC) reversed a position on the ground and ended up on top of Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC). It was then that Rockhold decided to purposely cover Costa’s face with blood leaking from his nose. It was a graphic scene, to say the least.

Costa didn’t realize what was going on at the moment, but said he definitely felt it.

“I didn’t see in the moment of the fight – I just felt something on my face,” Costa told reporters at the UFC 278 post-fight news conference. “I was so worried on blocking his arms so I don’t get elbowed on the face or punched, but I felt something.

“Now, when I saw (the replay), it’s very disgusting. It’s a weird moment. I saw the moment when Romero kissed him after beating him, as well. I was like, ‘This is the weirdest moment that I have ever seen.’ But this beats that moment.

“I don’t know why Rockhold did that. Maybe he did that because he was so frustrated, maybe angry because he was losing the fight. But I took a very long shower after the fight.”

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Regardless of the fight-ending sequence, Costa walked away with a unanimous decision win. It was his first victory in three years, though only his third fight in that period of time. The Brazilian entered UFC 278 on the heels of back-to-back losses to champion Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori.

Costa revealed in the lead-up to the fight that he was on the final bout of his UFC deal. He’s unsure where he’ll go next, but is keen on re-signing with the UFC. Dana White, the UFC’s president, also voiced his interest in getting Costa a new contract.

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Dana White: Merab Dvalishvili didn’t shine at UFC 278 like someone who wants a title shot

Merab Dvalishvili left very little doubt about whether he wants to fight a friend and teammate for a title.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] left very little doubt about whether he wants to fight a friend and teammate for a title.

Dvalishvili (15-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) was fairly dominant in a unanimous decision win over former featherweight champion Jose Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) at UFC 278 on Saturday. It kept him toward the top of contenders for a bantamweight title shot down the road.

But the bantamweight belt currently is held by Aljamain Sterling (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC), who happens to be one of Dvalishvili’s teammates and good friends at the Serra-Longo Fight Team gym on Long Island in New York.

After his win over Aldo, Dvalishvili said he has no intention of fighting Sterling for the title. UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] thinks that mentality, along with what he perceived as a less-than-showcase-worthy win, might hold the 31-year-old back.

“First of all, I love Jose. I don’t want to sh*t on Jose. But Jose had zero offense tonight,” White said at his UFC 278 post-event news conference. “And Merab didn’t go after it like a guy that looks like he wants to fight for the title. And when asked the question about his friend holding the title and what did he want to do, he never really answered the question.

“I always say this: We’re the bells and whistles guys (in the UFC). We lay it out there for him, we give him the opportunity to shine, and it’s up to you to get out there and do it. That didn’t happen tonight.”

Dvalishvili’s win was his eighth straight stretching back more than four years. He started his UFC tenure with back-to-back losses, but has been on a tear ever since.

But seven of his eight wins have been by unanimous decision. The one finish Dvalishvili has in his current run came 11 months ago with a TKO of Marlon Moraes that got him a post-fight bonus.

Two years ago, the level of Dvalishvili’s competition picked up. After wins over Terrion Ware, Brad Katona, Casey Kenney and Gustavo Lopez, his four most recent victories have been over two-time UFC flyweight title challenger John Dodson, Cody Stamann, Moraes and now ex-featherweight champ Aldo.

But White thinks if Dvalishvili really wanted to impress him and the UFC brass, he should’ve brought a little something more to the table against Aldo in a bout in the middle of a high-profile pay-per-view main card.

“When you’re on a card like this, the place is packed like this, and you want to make a statement in that division, you go for it,” White said. “And I get it – he’s fighting Jose Aldo, and whatever. I don’t think Merab did himself a lot of favors (Saturday).”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Leon Edwards: Head-kick KO loss at UFC 278 could change Kamaru Usman

Leon Edwards wonders if Kamaru Usman will be the same after UFC 278.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Leon Edwards [/autotag] is curious to see how [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] will bounce back.

Edwards dethroned welterweight champion Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 278 night in one of the most shocking results in MMA history. Down on the scorecards and with less than a minute left in their championship fight, Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) connected with a head kick that knocked out Usman and handed him his first defeat in the UFC.

Few expected that outcome. Many had Usman as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world entering UFC 278, and he was even talking about a potential move to light heavyweight in the near future. Because of that, Edwards wonders if Usman will be the same after such a devastating loss.

“I’d love to see how he comes back,” Edwards said at the UFC 278 post-fight press conference. “Because when you think you’re that great and then get knocked out clean like that, you change people. So let’s see.”

Usman entered UFC 278 on a 19-fight winning streak, which included a win over Edwards and five consecutive title defenses. It’s undeniable he’s one of the best fighters in the world.

Yet Edwards never thought of him as a pound-for-pound great and refused to hype him up.

“I didn’t build him up to be this pound-for-pound GOAT, as everyone said he is,” Edwards said. “I said it all week: ‘I don’t believe he’s the pound-for-pound (best).’

“You have to be better than just wrestling and boxing. I’m a mixed martial artist – I can do it all. I took him down in the first round. He had never been taken down before. So I broke the 100 percent record.”

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Saturday was a monumental moment for Edwards’ career. He had to go unbeaten 10 bouts that spanned seven years in order to get a chance at becoming UFC champion. It was the culmination of a long and tough journey.

“I was brought down,” Edwards said regarding the feeling of becoming champion. “It all just came on top of me – everything that I’ve been through, the road and the path I took to get here. It was difficult to put into words what this means to me and my family and people that I grew up with. It all just came down to me. It all just came down on me. It’s hard to explain it and put it into words.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Spinning Back Clique: Edwards’ comeback title win, Rockhold’s legacy, ‘Queen’ Harrison and more

“Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show, discusses Leon Edwards’ comeback win, Luke Rockhold’s legacy, Kayla Harrison and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

Our panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Danny Segura discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

  • [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] pulled off one of the great stunners in MMA history when he snatched victory from the proverbial jaws of defeat against Kamaru Usman. In the UFC 278 main event, Edwards was down 3-1 on the scorecards heading to the fifth, and he hadn’t done much in the final round to make a case that the fight was very close if he lost a decision. But with 56 seconds left, he hit the welterweight champ with a head kick to knock him out and win the title. Joe Rogan called it the best head-kick KO in MMA history. Given Usman’s accolades and the stakes, was Edwards’ win the best come-from-behind moment ever?
  • Former UFC middleweight champ [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] was swept on the scorecards by Paulo Costa in the UFC 278 co-main event, but his loss wasn’t what most people were talking about after the event. Instead, Rockhold’s heart and guts were at the forefront of most conversations, given he was beaten and bloody, but kept coming forward and landed a bunch of big shots of his own. That he did it in a return after more than three years away just added to his lore. Plus, he said immediately after the loss that it likely was his last fight. If that proves to be the case, what is Rockhold’s legacy, and is he a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame?
  • [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] had little to no problem once again Saturday. She advanced to her third PFL women’s lightweight final, and in November she’ll go after a third $1 million paycheck. The unbeaten two-time Olympic gold medal winner in judo was a highly coveted free agent before she returned to the PFL this year. After her first-round submission win over Martina Jindrova in London, she called herself the “queen of women’s MMA.” Is she right?
  • [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] put on a classic brawl in the BKFC 27 main event in London. Their bareknuckle fight was ruled a draw after five rounds, but BKFC rules allow a sixth sudden-victory round to get a winner. After one more frame, former UFC fighter Perry got his hand raised against Page, a Bellator standout on loan to BKFC for a big fight in front of his home England fans. Was Perry the rightful winner? If there’s a rematch, should it be in BKFC under the same ruleset, or should they fight in MMA?
  • We know who the winners and losers were on paper at UFC 278, the PFL’s third playoff event, and BKFC 27. But beyond those easy-to-track folks in the win and loss columns, who were the biggest winners from the three events this past Saturday? And who will be looking back on the day a little less fondly?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.

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VIDEO: Watch Israel Adesanya react to Leon Edwards’ ‘bittersweet’ knockout of Kamaru Usman

Leon Edwards’ knockout of Kamaru Usman left Israel Adesanya with mixed emotions.

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]’ knockout of [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] left [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] with mixed emotions.

Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) dethroned welterweight champion Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) with a last-minute head-kick knockout this past Saturday at UFC 278 and became the first to defeat “The Nigerian Nightmare” in the UFC.

Edwards was down 3-1 on the judges’ scorecards heading into Round 5 and was en route to a decision loss before he landed the blistering head kick that sent shockwaves throughout the MMA community.

The knockout left UFC middleweight champion Adesanya stunned, who was in agony watching his good friend Usman go down. But when the camera panned on his manager Tim Simpson, who also manages Edwards, Adesanya couldn’t help but smile.

“As much as I am happy for Leon, I’m more happy for team,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Because, Tim, our manager, I know how much this meant to him. It’s bittersweet. I’m so happy for Leon and Tim, but then I’m so sad for Kamaru. But then also I know, like the rematch – they’re going to have a rematch clause or something, so I know it’s going to be in there.”

Watch Adesanya’s reaction to Edwards’ knockout of Usman and more in the video below:

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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