Kamaru Usman, the former UFC Welterweight champion from the United States and Nigeria, was defeated in the main event of the UFC 286 card held in London, UK. The fighter known as the Nigerian Nightmare lost to Leon Edwards, an English professional mixed martial artist, via majority decision in the early hours of Sunday, March 19.
During their third meeting, Usman took a cautious approach to avoid another head-kick knockout, which made him somewhat gunshy.
Using his kicks to control the fight, Edwards managed to secure a victory in front of his home fans. Usman spoke to Daniel Cormier in the octagon after the war and discussed the future plans for his career. Despite the loss, the Nigerian Nightmare argued that he was able to put Edwards in some tough spots and believed he did enough to win.
Despite his recent back-to-back defeats against Edwards, Usman remains adamant that they will face each other again at some point in the future. The American-Nigerian professional mixed martial artist praised his Jamaican-born opponent for his victory and promised to come back stronger.
Speaking at London’s O2 Arena after the fight, Usman acknowledged that the match was close and admitted that Edwards had an excellent game plan. Nonetheless, he maintained the belief that he had done enough to win.
Kamaru Usman praises Leon after their trilogy
As the changing of the guard is completed, @Usman84kg pays his respects to Leon Edwards đź‘Ź #UFC286 pic.twitter.com/3BBZLCT6Hf
— UFC (@ufc) March 19, 2023
“I always said from the start we’d meet again and I’m not done. We will see each other again.
“I always gave him props for what he’s accomplished. He’s a brother like myself and great respect. London you’ve got yourself a great champion.”
After returning to the octagon, Usman stated that he must prioritize spending time with his family before making any further decisions.
He added, “Not too long. I’ll get back with my coaches. I’m one of those guys, I can’t sit for too long.“I’ll spend some time with my daughter. You guys get to watch us but you don’t know what we have to sacrifice to be here. We put it on the lines every time.”
Experiencing consecutive losses for the first time in the UFC, Usman now faces a challenging path ahead. Despite suffering a defeat in their third fight, Kamaru pledges to meet Leon once again in the future saying, “I am not done, I will see him again”
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