Following his majority decision loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 286 in London, Kamaru Usman released a statement. Usman, who holds a record of 20-3 MMA, faced off against Edwards, who has a record of 21-3 MMA. In their third match with the welterweight title on the line.
Usman aimed to recover from his title loss to Edwards in August of the previous year. Where he suffered a devastating head kick knockout, marking his second career defeat and his first loss since 2013.
Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman face each other off before UFC 286
On the other hand, Edwards arrived at the UFC 286 main event with a ten-fight winning streak, including the previously mentioned knockout triumph over Usman at UFC 278. It is noteworthy that Edwards’ last defeat was back in December 2015 when he lost to ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ by points at UFC on Fox 17.
The main event of UFC 286 was an exhilarating five-round battle, with both fighters trading blows throughout. Leon Edwards dominated with numerous kicks that relentlessly battered Kamaru Usman’s lead leg.
Dana White announced Colby Covington to be next in line for the welterweight title shot
Usman managed to execute four takedowns during the fight, but had difficulty keeping Edwards, who hails from Birmingham, on his back. Despite losing a point in Round 3, Edwards did enough to win the match, securing victories on two of the judges’ scorecards.
Kamaru Usman praises Leon after the fight
The official result of UFC 286 was a majority decision victory for Leon Edwards over Kamaru Usman. With scores of 48-46 on two judges’ scorecards and 47-47 on the third. In his post-fight interview, Usman expressed his respect for Edwards. But also believed he had done enough to win.
Following the setback, Usman posted a statement on Twitter regarding the fight.
A special thank you to my management, family, friends, and fans. I appreciate each and everyone of you. Wasn’t my night but as always we go back to work. Congratulations @Leon_edwardsmma great work 🤜🏿🤛🏿👏🏿
— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) March 19, 2023
After a tightly contested battle, UFC President Dana White stated at the post-fight press conference that Colby Covington would be the next fighter to challenge Leon Edwards for the championship belt.
