Leon Edwards has shocked the MMA world. With a head kick in the final round of a fight he was handily losing, Edwards knocked out Usman to win the UFC welterweight title in the main event of UFC 278 on Saturday night here at Vivint Arena. The finish came at 4:04 of the fifth round. Usman was considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
Edwards snapped Usman’s 15-fight UFC winning streak, which was one off the UFC record. It was one of the most stunning knockouts in the history of the sport.
“I can’t put it into words,” Edwards said.
Usman had been dominating the fight after the first round. But Usman leaned down to his right to defend an Edwards left and Edwards caught him flush with a left head kick, sending the more than 17,000 in attendance into a frenzy. Usman, who was out on contact, was less than a minute away from a sixth title defense.
Round-by-Round coverage:
Round 1: Edwards lands a few leg kicks, then defends a takedown attempt. He then slips on an attack and Usman gets him to the canvas. But Edwards gets up, and with two minutes to go, he scores a trip takedown into full mount. Edwards ends up taking the back and threatening a choke until the horn. 10-9, Edwards.
Round 2: Edwards gets his foot caught against the cage, and the brief distraction allows Usman to swarm with punches. Even after Edwards gets away, Usman keeps up the pressure, leading to two takedowns. Edwards is starting to look just a bit worn down. 10-9, Usman. (19-19)
Round 3: Usman resumes his stalking. A minute in, he gets a takedown. Edwards gets right back up, but Usman is all over him. Edwards lands a couple of shots, but Usman again closes in, gets another takedown and takes back control. Then he is on top, in full mount. Edwards looks drained, and Usman is rolling. 10-9, Usman. (29-28 Usman.)
Round 4: Edwards stands his ground, lands a few strikes and is close to a takedown. But Usman defends well, turns the tables and midway through the round gets a takedown of his own. Usman is in full control, all over Edwards. There’s a pause as referee Herb Dean sees Edwards grab the cage to get up from a takedown. Dean puts them back on the canvas, and even after Edwards gets back up, he is sagging. 10-9, Usman. (39-37 Usman.)
Round 5: Usman keeps stalking, and Edwards is not threatening. The challenger needs to do something big, and he has nothing for Usman, who is cruising. Edwards lands a couple of shots, but one is low. Then, just as it looked like Edwards was out of it, his left high kick knocks out Usman. And new!
Paulo Costa and Luke Rockhold went into Saturday not only as two of the best middleweights in the world, but also two of the middleweights in most need of a win. In the end, it was Costa who got it done.
Costa (14-2) out-lasted Rockhold (16-6) over the course of a grueling three-round affair at UFC 278 on Saturday, collecting unanimous judges’ scores of 30-27. Both middleweights looked absolutely exhausted in the high altitude of Vivint Arena, particularly Rockhold, who repeatedly put his hands on his hips between rounds and was forced to breathe out of his mouth due to blood pouring from his nose early on.
It was a much-needed win for Costa, who began his career with 13 consecutive wins but was coming off back-to-back losses to Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori.
For Rockhold, a former UFC and Strikeforce champion, it appeared to be the end of the road. The 37-year-old returned on Saturday from a three-year layoff, and essentially announced his retirement in the Octagon after. Although he didn’t actually say he was done, he was extremely emotional, removed his gloves inside the cage and nodded in affirmation when UFC commentator Joe Rogan mentioned the possibility of it being his last fight.
“I can’t do this s— anymore,” Rockhold said. “I gave it my all. I’m f—ing old.”
Costa, whose last win was in 2019 against Yoel Romero, got off to a hot start by defending Rockhold’s initial takedown attempts. He landed several hard hammerfists after stuffing one of those early attempts, which immediately caused swelling on Rockhold’s face and bloodied his nose. He maintained a steady pressure on Rockhold on the feet, constantly walking him to the fence and throwing combinations.
By the end of the first round, Rockhold’s body language was terrible. He leaned heavily on the fence between the first and second rounds, and repeatedly lowered his hands and looked for rests in the middle of the action. He actually got a rest in the second round when Costa landed an accidental punch below the belt. Even after the break, however, Rockhold continued to breathe heavily.
According to UFC Stats, Costa landed 106 total strikes to 57 for Rockhold.
Rockhold showed heart and will power in the third, when he continued to throw dangerous shots even though he was clearly exhausted. At the end of the fight, he reversed position on Costa on the floor and finished the round on top. The fight ended with Rockhold rubbing his face on Costa, so the blood coming from his nose smeared over the Brazilian’s face.
Despite the two losses coming in, Costa is still considered a top 5 middleweight, although he has expressed an interest in boxing in the near future.
